The US has welcomed the decision of Nepal Maoist chief Prachanda to hand over the control of nearly 20,000 Maoist combatants and their weapons to a special committee. State Department spokesman, P J Crowley, told reporters in Washington at his daily news conference that US welcomes a clear progress where there's an agreement in Nepal to transfer command and control of Maoist forces to a special commission. Crowley said this is an important step in the peace process, but now Nepal needs to move ahead with the rest of the process which involves a new constitution and the formation of a government. Nepalese media reports had said the development marks an important step toward the Maoist party's transformation into a civilian party, as it has now officially dissociated itself from its combatants.