KATHMANDU - Communist guerrillas ambushed a government security patrol in Nepal, killing at least 12 security forces, and an ensuing battle left a number of rebels dead, military officials said on Sunday. The guerrillas ambushed the patrol on Saturday in a mountainous area near Khana, a village about 350 kilometers (220 miles) west of Katmandu, the officials said. The area is known to have a strong rebel presence.A spokesman at the Royal Nepalese Army’s regional command center at Pokhara confirmed that six soldiers and six policemen were killed in the attack. The official, who spoke on the usual condition of anonymity, said hundreds of soldiers were deployed to the area on Sunday to hunt down the attackers. Rain and heavy clouds made it difficult for army helicopters to land, he said.
The army said local villagers saw the bodies of several rebels being carried away. The rebels did not make any statements about the clash.