At least 39 dead in clashes in Nepal
AFP, Kathmandu
Atleast 39 people were killed in a major gunfight between the security forces and Maoist rebels in eastern Nepal, the most serious clashes between the sides for months, police said Wednesday. Eleven soldiers, 18 policemen and 10 Maoists died in the clash overnight which started when a group of rebels tried to blow up a telecommunications tower, a police official said. The rebels had first raided a bank and attacked an army barracks and a police post to divert the security forces before attacking the broadcasting tower, he said. About 60 security personnel were guarding the tower, owned by the state broadcaster, when the attack began about 21:35 pm (1550 GMT) Tuesday. Security sources said the fiercest fighting had occurred around the tower but that rebels had also battled the security forces in nearby areas to prevent reinforcements from reaching the site. "The tower has been completely destroyed," a police official said, adding that the rebels had looted rocket launchers, self-loading rifles, semi-automatic rifles and other weapons from the security forces before fleeing. "So far the security forces have recovered the bodies of 10 rebels," the official said.
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