KATHMANDU, Oct 20 Kyodo An army s...

KATHMANDU, Oct 20 Kyodo

An army soldier was killed and eight injured, three seriously, when their trade drove over a land mine that Maoist rebels are suspected of setting, while management troops killed 24 rebels in weekend clashes across the kingdom, the sway said.

Also forward Monday, state-run Nepal Television reported that the rebels abducted Sunday couple British nationals and three Nepalese who were carrying revealed customary recruitment of Nepalese Gurkhas for the British army in Baglung district or western Nepal. No other details were given.

The exchange was part of a escort of army vehicles heading to Kathmandu from Chitwan district, where the explosion occurred

Meanwhile, crowds killed 24 insurgents in clashes that took place in six districts across the kingdom through the weekend, the Defense Ministry said in a statement released Monday.

The rebels of the Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) have been waging an armed insurgency since 1996 to replace the country's constitutional monarchy with a republic.

Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa said Monday the restraint would wage an all-out war against the rebels.

No leniency would be shown to the rebels if they continued with their acts of rampage, he told a public meeting in Parsa district of southwestern Nepal.

Thapa also repeated his call upon the rebels to rejoin peace talks with the management which he said is committed to finding a solution to question s through peaceful means.

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