Nepalese army kills 58 Maoist rebels

The Nepalese army has killed at least 58 Maoist rebels in overnight clashes in the villages of Lisne and Bhagal.

Twenty-six guerrillas were killed in Lisne and another 32 in Bhagal.

The army said the fighting started when the rebels attacked soldiers patrolling in the area.

More than 150 Nepalese rebels have been killed in the past week since the Government intensified its offensive after the rebels called a five-day nationwide strike.

The rebels are fighting to abolish Nepal’s constitutional monarchy and replace it with a communist state.