Rebels kill 20 soldiers in Nepal fighting

Maoist rebels killed at least 20 soldiers in fierce fighting in a remote mountainous region of west Nepal today.

Another six rebels were killed in the fighting, officials said.

An army patrol was ambushed near the village of Sirsakhola, 190 miles west of the capital, Kathmandu.

Royal Nepalese army spokesman Brigadier General Deepak Gurung said fighting continued all day and reinforcements were sent by army helicopter in the afternoon.

Soldiers were searching the area for the rebels, but the mountainous terrain was making the search operation difficult.

The rebels, who say they are inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, have been fighting since February 1996 to replace the Himalayan kingdom’s monarchy with a communist state.

The insurgency has claimed more than 10,000 lives.

Rebels walked out of peace talks and withdrew from a seven-month ceasefire in August.