Fighting rages in Nepal

The government says it is fighting a war on terror

Reports from Nepal say there have been heavy casualties on both sides as fighting escalates between security forces and Maoist guerrillas in the west of the country.

The Maoists have been fighting for six years

Correspondents say this is the heaviest fighting in the six years that Maoist rebels have been trying to overthrow Nepal's constitutional monarchy.

Precise and confirmed numbers of dead and wounded are impossible to obtain in the capital, Kathmandu.

But the latest reports say the rebels have counter-attacked after taking heavy losses themselves since the fighting began last Thursday night.

Reports on Wednesday said about 100 security personnel were killed when a police and army base was overrun by rebels overnight, but this has not been confirmed.

Heavy toll

Since pitched battles began in the remote, rugged western district of Rolpa late last week, the Defence Ministry has talked of hundreds of rebel casualties.

Deuba is seeking US endorsement

Now the latest reports say a Maoist counter-attack has taken a heavy toll on the security forces.

The 100 soldiers and police officers that were killed reportedly died in fighting around the village of Gama near Lisne Lake.

In another incident, authorities have confirmed that 14 rebels and four police officers died in the town of Chainpur in eastern Sankhuwasabha district.

The latest violence coincided with talks in Washington between Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba and US President George W Bush.

Mr Deuba is seeking pledges of American aid and support against the revolt, which has claimed more than 3,500 lives so far.

Emergency

The BBC's Daniel Lak in Kathmandu says that what has always been crucial to understanding this war is not the precise number of dead and wounded but the nature of the battle.

Both sides are accused of rights abuses

The Royal Nepal Army has been fighting the rebels since a state of emergency was declared last November.

The army's training and weaponry have had more success against the rebels than the poorly armed Nepalese police.

But the Maoists remain consummate guerrilla fighters, using to their advantage terrain, darkness and fear of violent reprisal.

They execute captured members of the security forces and human rights groups say they have tortured civilians and mainstream political activists.

The security forces are fighting back with machineguns carried in helicopters and even some aerial bombardment, according to the latest reports.

Western concerns

Human rights groups say many civilians have either been caught in crossfire or falsely persecuted for political reasons.

The prime minister says a war against such terror is the toughest fight of all.

The United States and Britain are backing Mr Deuba but there are concerns in western countries that this conflict could continue and escalate over the long term.

Our correspondent says that Nepal - already one of the world's poorest countries - can ill afford many more months of violence and economic decline on this scale.