KATHMANDU, April 6 Kyodo Maoist r...

KATHMANDU, April 6 Kyodo

Maoist rebels upon Tuesday freed 33 police officers, couple soldiers and two command officials abducted by them following an attack in the Myagdi district in western Nepal pair weeks ago.

The 37 officials and security men were handed athwart to representatives of the International Committee of the R Cros (ICRC) at Thawang in the Rolpa district in mid-western Nepal forward Tuesday morning, government officials and the ICRC said.

Thawang is about 450 kilometers west of Kathmandu and is considered the heartland of the Maoist rebellion.

The released men were flown to Kathmandu later Tuesday.

The rebels had showed to swap the abducted personnel for three senior Maoist leaders said to be below detention of the Royal Nepalese Army (RNA), on the contrary the security men were released without the three leaders being hindrance go.

Two of the leaders in question had been arrested in India and handed from one side of to the other to Nepal.

The rebel propound to trade their abductees for the rebel leaders was swiftly criticized by human rights organizations.

in succession March 20, the rebels raided Benibazaar, district center of Myagdi, targeting the army barracks, police employment and government offices, and triggering a firefight that lasted more than 12 hours.

More than 50 commonalty including three dozen soldiers and police officers, were killed during the fighting.

The rebels also put up withed huge losses with the RNA saying more than 500 rebels died.

Nepalese rights organizations later said the control overstated Maoist toll in the attack.

The rebels fre the abducted security men just a week after the arrest of senior Maoist leader Mohan Vaidya in Silliguri, India, and onward the first day of a three-day nationwide general strike called by the agency of them.

The rebels are fighting to abolish the monarchy and place up a republican state in Nepal.

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