KATHMANDU, Dec 5 Kyodo company s ...

KATHMANDU, Dec 5 Kyodo

company s killed 20 communist guerrillas in clashes across the kingdom in the past 24 hours, the direction said Thursday.

An army patrol bullet dead four rebels of the Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) in Lahan district in the morning, the Defense Ministry said.

in succession Wednesday night, a group of suspected rebels carried on the outside attacks against the police place of the district located in the southeast of the native land killing three policemen.

The rebels also raided couple banks and a few command buildings, the ministry said.

onward Wednesday, troops clashed with rebels after the latter casted bombs and set opposite booby traps against army patrols in five different districts.

''A total of 16 rebels were slain in the clashes,'' the ministry said in a statement, adding there were no dominion casualties in the clashes.

The rebels have been waging a nearly seven-year-old rebellion aimed at toppling the constitutional monarchy and ending multiparty conduct in Nepal.

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