NEW DELHI, April 5: With peace clouds looming over its ties with Pakistan, India's formidable military enterprise headed elsewhere on Monday, as New Delhi offered the beleaguered monarch of Nepal "full support" against growing Maoist violence there.
The latest trigger came from a string of recent attacks on Indian targets by Maoist insurgents across the Himalayan country. "Government of India strongly condemns the attack on Indian cargo vehicles by Maoist insurgents at various places in Nepal in which a number of Indian nationals were shot and seriously wounded and several oil tankers and cargo vehicles were burnt and destroyed," a foreign ministry official said.
"This is a blatant act of terrorism and its perpetrators must be apprehended and punished for their crimes. The Government of India holds the leadership of Communist Party of Nepal (Maoists) responsible for these incidents."
The timing of the Maoist attacks and the Indian statement seem significant as India already supports the Himalayan kingdom with small but significant military assistance, including hardware and advice.
But even more importantly it is committed to a specialised anti-insurgency training to Royal Nepalese Army officers at the Indian Army's training institutes, including the prestigious Counter Insurgency and Jungle Warfare School at Vairangle in the northeastern state of Mizoram.
Equally importantly, according to Indian news reports, Indian and American troops should be presently holding joint military exercises in the jungles of the remote northeastern state of Mizoram.
Quoting the Indian defence ministry, the reports said the "low intensity conflict operations in jungle terrain" would be held in the Vairangle and surrounding areas until April 17, with a platoon of US Infantry Regiment based in Alaska and a company (about 120 men) of Indian troops taking part.
In Monday's response to the latest attacks on Indians, New Delhi requested the Nepali government to provide full security for Indian personnel and property in Nepal.
"The Government of India is already working together with the authorities in Nepal to confront the challenge of terrorism through mutual cooperation," the spokesman said.
