KATHMANDU: At least 29 Maoist rebels, police and soldiers have been killed a clash in western Nepal, the army said on Wednesday. “Security personnel have so far recovered at least 18 bodies of Maoists from the clash site and during the clash 10 soldiers and one police officer were killed,” an army statement said.

The rebels said in a separate statement that 28 people had been killed, including 20 troops or police, in the battle on Tuesday near Palpa, 280 kilometres) west of Kathmandu.

“Our cadres seized a dozen sophisticated weapons including a mortar and M-16 rifles,” said the statement, signed by Ramesh Koirala, the spokesman for the Maoist Western Military Command Headquarters.

Search operations were continuing in the area, the army statement said—AFP