Nepal troops clash with Maoists

By Sushil Sharma
BBC News, Kathmandu

There have been a number of recent clashes in Nepal

At least two people have been killed in fresh clashes between government soldiers and Maoist rebels in Nepal, the authorities say.

The overnight clashes occurred in the south-western district of Kanchanpur, on the border with India.

The authorities say the rebels may have suffered heavy casualties.

About 12,000 people have died in 10 years of Maoist insurgency that is aimed at replacing the monarchy with a communist republic.

Following the latest clash, the bodies of a policeman and a rebel are reported to have been recovered.

The authorities quoted eyewitnesses as saying that the rebels carried several of their fallen comrades away.

There have been no comments from the rebels so far.

Heavy fighting

The clashes followed an attack on a police post at Gaddhachauki, situated less than a kilometre from the Indian border.

Hundreds of rebels who came on farm tractors attacked the post.

The authorities said the rebels fled after three hours of fighting.

The rebels have suffered a series of setbacks across the country in recent months.

They have lately been seeking an alliance with major parliamentary parties who are opposed to King Gyanendra after he sacked a four-party coalition, seized direct powers and imposed restrictions on civil liberties in February this year.

Although the parties have refused to join hands with the Maoist rebels unless the latter gave up arms, the rebels appear keen to take advantage of a widening rift between the king and mainstream parties.