Hundreds of rebels swooped down on Gamgadi just after midnight on Monday setting fire to a dozen government buildings. The army and police appear to have stayed in the safety of their barracks an hour's walk above the town while the Maoists went on an arson spree in the bajar. However, there was a security patrol in the town which engaged the Maoists and forced them to retreat. A body of a Maoist was found and it is believed that several others were killed or injured.

Buildings belonging to the district administration, police, forest, land revenue, post office, DDC and Nepal Telecom were set on fire. Offices of NGOs, CSP/DFID, SAPPROS, RCDC, were also gutted. UMN staff Kristi Kirjavanen had her satellite phone and Rs 50,000 stolen.

Later that night, Maoists attacked the powerhouse of the Small Hydroelectric Centre in Dolpa, destroying it. Damage is estimated at Rs 133 million, the district headquarters and Dunai is expected to be without power for months. The Maoists also returned to Jumla and destroyed the one government building that had been spared in their last attack in August - the District Soil Conservation Office.

In Humla, the rebels destroyed the Nepal Telecom office, which means plans to activate 150 phone lines in the district distributed last month are now wrecked.