Maoist rebels fighting to overthrow Nepal's constitutional monarchy killed at least eight policemen today in an ambush on a patrol in the west of the Himalayan nation, police said.
A police spokesman said Maoist rebels fired on a patrol from dense forests at dusk as it was on its way to clear a road block of trees set up by the insurgents in Banke, 500 km (310 miles) west of Kathmandu.
A firefight ensued in which the policemen were killed.
"The Maoists might have also suffered extensive losses. But we have no details," the spokesman said.
The area is a Maoist stronghold.
Maoist guerrillas, who want a communist state in the impoverished Hindu kingdom, regularly set up road blocks in rural areas to make their presence felt.
Last night, rebels killed at least 11 policemen or soldiers in separate clashes in western Nepal as Maoist chief Prachanda urged foreign donors to stop international support to aid-dependent Nepal.
More than 10,000 people have died in the 8-year-old Maoist revolt in Nepal, tucked between Asian giants China and India.
Violence has continued unabated since the rebels pulled out of peace talks last year in a row over the role of the monarchy in a future governing arrangement.