Maoists killed in Nepalese clashes

Nepalese army personnel patrol the streets of Kathmandu

KATHMANDU, Nepal -- Nepali soldiers have killed at least seven Maoist rebels trying to overthrow the Himalayan country's constitutional monarchy, according to the Defence Ministry.

Nepalese press reports say that at least 26 rebels were shot dead by security forces at various parts of the nation over the weekend, as the government troops seized weaponry and redistributed a large amount of grain stockpiled by the rebels.

The Defence Ministry said five guerrillas of the (Maoist) Communist Party of Nepal were shot dead late on Friday in a clash with army troops on a search operation in west Nepal.

The ministry said two other rebels were killed on Saturday in a gunbattle with security forces in Nuwakot, in central Nepal.

The army mounted a nationwide operation to crush the Maoistst after guerrillas broke a truce and launched a string of deadly attacks.

The government also extended a state of emergency by three months in February, allowing soldiers to flush out rebels from hideouts in the Himalayan foothills.

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The rebels staged their deadliest attacks two weeks ago in which 167 people, mostly security personnel were killed. The rebellion has claimed more than 2,800 lives and damaged the nation's impoverished economy.

The Kathmandu Post quoted named police officers around country as saying that the dead rebels in the latest confrontations included a prominent Maoist leader and a bomb maker.

The newspaper also reported that two regional policeman had been kidnapped by the rebels over the weekend.