Rebels killed in Nepal fighting

Nepal's Maoist rebels say eight of their fighters have been killed in a clash with security forces in Nepal.

However, security officials say 16 rebels had been killed in the fighting that took place in Rupandehi district west of the capital, Kathmandu.

The authorities said at least 12 soldiers were injured in the clash on Sunday.

Violence has escalated in Nepal after the rebels called off a four-month unilateral ceasefire last month.

The BBC's Navin Singh Khadka in Kathmandu says the clash in Rupandehi was one of the fiercest ones in the area in recent times.

An army official told the AFP news agency that the troops had recovered "16 bodies of the Maoists after the clash which lasted for almost two hours" on Sunday.

The rebels said that eight of their fighters had died. They also said they had inflicted heavy losses on the security forces, but could not give any numbers.

In a separate incident, two soldiers were killed in a rebel attack in Kavre district north-east of Kathmandu, officials said.

Nepal's armed forces have launched a major offensive against Maoist rebels in the mountainous south-western region, authorities have said.

Elections

The government refused to halt army offensives during the Maoist ceasefire, saying it did not trust the rebels.

After the truce ended, the rebels called a nationwide shutdown to try to disrupt this month's municipal elections.

The opposition and the rebels said the local elections were a sham to entrench the power of the king, who seized direct power in February 2005.

About 13,000 people have died in the 10-year Maoist insurgency.

Top Maoist leader Prachanda told the BBC recently the only future he saw for the king was exile or trial, possibly leading to execution.

King Gyanendra has called on the mainstream opposition political parties in the country to enter into dialogue and promote democracy.