Nepalese army told to fight back

Rebels want to overthrow the constitutional monarchy

The Nepalese Government has ordered its security forces to redouble their efforts to crush the country's Maoist rebels.

The move follows the rebels' most devastating attacks ever in which more than 130 people were killed in two simultaneous attacks in western Nepal.

The victims of the weekend raids on two towns in the remote district of Achham included police officers, soldiers and local government officials.

Local reports said there had also been casualties among the rebels.

The government of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba is facing heavy criticism of its security policy from parliament, which went into a rare evening debate on Monday.

New instructions

"The government has instructed all security agencies to launch immediate offensive and defensive operations against the Maoists," Jayprakash Prasad Gupta, the Communications and Information Minister, told Reuters news agency.

The government has taken new measures to tackle the insurgency

The Nepalese cabinet, meeting in emergency session, said new instructions had been given to security forces, but gave no details.

The scale and ferocity of the attacks go beyond anything the rebels have carried out previously in six years of conflict.

The BBC's Daniel Lak, in the Nepalese capital Kathmandu, says questions are bound to be asked about how the rebels were able to exact such a devastating toll three months into the military campaign against them

Gun battles

The Maoists, who are seeking to overthrow Nepal's constitutional monarchy, mounted attacks on an airport, government buildings, a military barracks and an armoury. Buildings were blown up and banks looted.

PM Deuba is facing dissent

Gun battles between rebels and the security forces went on for many hours from midnight until well after dawn.

Smoke was seen drifting around the scene of the attacks for a long time afterwards.

The district's chief administrator, Mohan Singh Khadka, was reported to have been killed in the attacks.

The rebels appear to have been armed with modern weapons looted from the military during a previous attack.

Reports say the rebels also suffered heavy casualties.

A state television reporter in Achham said the severed heads of about 40 rebels had been found.

State of emergency

There were rowdy scenes in parliament as angry MPs demanded an explanation from the government of how the attack could have happened.

The debate on whether to extend the state of emergency declared last November, along with a vote on Thursday, were scheduled before Sunday's attacks.

But the opposition now says the military offensive launched following the declaration of the state of emergency has not been effective enough.

When the home minister attempted to address the house, MPs refused to let him speak and demanded a statement from the premier, jostling each other and shouting.

The speaker suspended proceedings for a few hours, but the prime minister's address later in the day, in which he called upon all parties to unite against terrorism, seemed to calm tensions for the moment.

Our correspondent says Mr Deuba was facing dissent, even within his own party, but should be able to muster the needed two-thirds majority for the extension.

Embattled premier

He adds that it is clear that the authorities will have to intensify their fight against the Maoists if civilians, particularly those in the countryside, are to feel safe again.

A military offensive against the rebels began last November

But even if they do this, the prime minister may find himself battling for his political life as dissidents from within his own party question his leadership.

Our correspondent also says it is unclear how the government will step up its campaign against the rebels.

Nepal's economy is in tatters and the Maoists have proven themselves more than adept at using the country's rugged terrain to military advantage.

The Maoists have been fighting for a communist republic in Nepal since 1996, and the insurgency has claimed the lives of more than 2,000 people.