'Hundreds dead' in Nepal clashes

The government has launched a major offensive

At least 350 fighters and civilians have been killed in clashes between rebels and government troops in western Nepal, according to the country's state radio.

It said some 250 Maoist rebels and villagers and more than 100 soldiers and police officers died in fighting over the past few days near the village of Gam.

The village lies in the remote district of Rolpa from where the rebels originally began their fight to overthrow the country's monarchy.

The death toll cannot be independently confirmed because journalists and human rights groups have no access to the area.

Pre-monsoon mists and heavy thunderstorms have hindered the security forces in the latest fighting.

Officials say the weather at first prevented reinforcements from being sent to a besieged garrison in the village of Gam.

A number of soldiers and policemen were killed there, and the latest reports speak of Maoist casualties in the area as well.

Guerrilla warfare

The terrain is impossibly rugged and there are no roads, only steep treacherous footpaths.

Both sides are accused of human rights abuses

Correspondents say the Maoists are classic guerrilla fighters, using terrain, darkness and fear against the security forces.

This time, the army, regular police and special armed police have mounted their most intense offensive ever.

A clear picture of this series of battles will not emerge for days, even after the fighting stops, because of the remote area and the habit of Maoist commanders to order that their dead be carried away or buried quickly.

Turning point

But the BBC's Daniel Lak in Kathmandu says this could prove a decisive phase in the conflict, especially with the Nepalese Prime Minister, Sher Bahadur Deuba, travelling abroad to gather support for anti-Maoist operations.

Sher is seeking international support

The prime minister is currently in the United States, where President George W Bush and Congress have pledged assistance.

"We will leave no stone unturned, and liberate our people from terror," Mr Deuba said in a speech at the Woodrow Wilson International Center.

He is expected to receive an equally warm welcome in London next week when he meets the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair.

But our correspondent says the war can only be won with a combination of military, economic and political initiatives.

The deep rural poverty that helped breed this revolution is getting worse and most Nepalese want peace at almost any price.