More arms aid to Nepal

In what signifies the co-ordinated support mechanism chalked out for this purpose, sources say this hardware assistance was given by Britain, orders processed by Belgium and the helicopters supplied by Belarus. It is understood that the helicopters had been stripped of their weapon delivery capabilities and will be used to ferry troops of the Royal Nepalese Army.

Even as these choppers were being readied for assembly, US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Donald Camp said in Kathmandu on Tuesday that Washington will be providing $70 million assistance to Nepal, of which $14 million would be military aid.

Over the past year, US has been arranging military hardware supplies via NATO countries to Nepal. It is learnt that Kathmandu has been assured 5,000 MP-5 sub-machine guns from Belgium. The decision to procure guns from Belgium was taken after New Delhi-supplied refurbished hardware did not come up to Nepalese Army’s expectations.

New Delhi too has been helping Kathmandu with military supplies, but its focus has been more on training assistance to officers of the Royal Nepalese Army. It is learnt that the number of vacancies allotted to Nepalese officers for military courses in India has been doubled.

Concerned by the growing nexus between Nepal Maoists and their Leftist counterparts here, Indian officials say it is in India’s interest to ensure that, at least, violence perpetrated by the Maoists is stopped.

A proof of the nexus between Maoist insurgents on both sides came to the fore in a raid conducted in Patna by Indian authorities on February 26. Nine Nepalese Maoists were held along with local members of the PWG.

A matter of greater concern, sources say, was the recovery of electronic detonators with markings of Indian Detonators Ltd. Inquiries have revealed that the detonators had been pilfered from the coal fields of Bengal and Jharkand. Simultaneously, sources say, PWG cadres are being trained by Nepalese Maoists in return for local liaisoning in India.