Nepal appeals for military aid against rebels

Kathmandu - Nepal has asked India for helicopters and arms to fight a growing Maoist insurgency that left another 66 people dead…

Kathmandu - Nepal has asked India for helicopters and arms to fight a growing Maoist insurgency that left another 66 people dead yesterday. About 350 people have died in six days of violence.

The Indian Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, said in a telephone call with Nepal's King Gyanendra that he would offer "whatever assistance was required".

On Monday, the Nepalese government imposed a state of emergency and ordered the army to confront the Maoist rebels. The rebels had broken a four-month ceasefire in the worst attacks on the police and army since their armed struggle began in 1996.