Dozens killed in Nepalese rebel clashes

Nepalese Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba

KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Thirty two people were killed within a 24-hour period when security forces and Maoist rebels clashed in various districts across Nepal on Wednesday.

Seven policemen were killed in Kailali district when rebels attacked three police stations, the home ministry said. Eight more policemen were severely injured.

Meanwhile, the defense ministry said 25 Maoist rebels were shot to death overnight in various districts across Nepal.

According to Defense Ministry spokesman Bhola Silwal, several clashes with rebels occurred overnight in Rukum, Bardiya, Banke, Surkhet and Gorkha districts. Fourteen rebels were killed in Rukum district alone, he said while the rest died in clashes elsewhere.

But the government also suffered a setback in Kailali district Wednesday morning when seven policemen were shot dead by rebels in a police station alongside a major highway.

The home ministry said the incident occurred near the village of Lamki, about 342 miles (550 km) west of Kathmandu, the capital. The rebels also suffered casualties, according to a ministry official, but the number was not known.

Indian support

Two other police stations were also attacked by the rebels in the same district, but security forces managed to drive away the rebels, the home ministry said.

The escalating violence came as Nepal's Prime Minister Sher Deuba flew to New Delhi for an official three-day visit at the invitation of Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee.

Before departing, Deuba told reporters he would discuss the Maoist problem, and the emergency rule he imposed in Nepal to deal with the rebellion, with Vajpayee.

India has strongly backed Deuba in his fight against the rebels, even providing helicopters and weapons to the poorly-equipped Royal Nepal Army.

But Deuba is seeking more military aid from friendly countries, including India, where Nepal's government believes many top rebel leaders may be hiding.

Deuba said Tuesday he would ask the Indian government to crack down on Nepali Maoist rebel leaders and their supporters in India.

More than 2,500 people have died in Nepal since the Maoists surfaced in 1996 with their "people's war" campaign. They are aiming to overthrow Nepal's constitutional monarchy in favor of a communist republic.