Senior officers held hostage in Nepal

Kathmandu: About 500 riot policemen took senior officers hostage in a revolt in western Nepal over ill treatment and poor food, officials said on Sunday.

The policemen seized the riot police camp at Nepalgunj, about 500 kilometers west of Kathmandu, on Saturday and were holding seven senior police officials hostage, said Krishna Acharya, a government administrator in the area.

Armed rebel policemen were guarding the camp's entrances and there had been some shooting but no one was injured, Acharya said.

Other police surrounded the camp and the area has been cordoned off while negotiations with the rebel officers continue, he said.

The rebelling policemen told reporters they were protesting ill treatment of lower-ranking officers by their supervisors, low-quality food they are given and other police force issues.

Home Minister Krishna Sitaula said he ordered the police chief to take "all necessary action" to deal with the situation.