Soldiers have successfully flushed communist rebels from hideouts in the remote mountains of western Nepal, army officials said on Sunday. The troops found and destroyed at least two bomb-making factories and several of the Maoist rebels' bases, said a senior official involved in the operation. The official at the Royal Nepalese Army's western regional command centre, speaking on condition of anonymity, also claimed the operation had foiled attacks being planned by the rebels. Further details were not immediately available. The major operation was launched after King Gyanendra took over the government on Feb. 1, promising to wipe out the rebels and restore peace in this Himalayan country. The guerrillas, who say they are inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong, have been fighting since 1996 to replace Nepal's monarchy with a communist state. The insurgency has claimed more than 10,500 lives. In the latest operation, hundreds of troops combed mountainous remote in Nepal's remote western region, believed to be a rebel stronghold. The guerrillas' elusive leader, known as Prachanda, said a week ago that his forces would step up attacks on government troops and set up roadblocks, then call for an 11-day nationwide anti-monarchy strike beginning April 2.