Nepalese militants and police killed in raids

Hundreds of communist rebels raided three police posts along a key highway in eastern Nepal, sparking a gunbattle that killed at least 26 militants and four security force officers, officials said today.

Several other policemen were reported missing in the near-simultaneous overnight attacks at Bandipur, Mirchaya and Dharapani along the country’s east-west highway – 310 miles east of the capital Kathmandu, Siraha district chief Deepak Joshi said.