Nepal to receive US military aid

The authorities in Nepal say United States military officials have been visiting the country to advise the government on how to end a longrunning Maoist insurgency.

The junior home minister, Devendra Raj Kandel, said the advisers, who arrived last week, would visit the north-east of the country, where the rebels have been particularly active.

Mr Kendel said the advisers would assess the situation, but he said it was not yet clear what military assistance they would provide.

Correspondents say this is the first time foreign military experts have been allowed to visit areas affected by the rebellion.

The visit follows a trip to Washington earlier this month by the Nepalese Foreign Minister, Madhu Raman Acharya, who requested American military aid to combat the Maoists.

Maoist rebels have been fighting for a communist republic in Nepal and the abolition of the monarchy since 1996.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service