Maoist rebels in Nepal killed at least 54 people in attacks in Dang district, about 190 miles west of the capital, Katmandu.
In Satbariya village, 35 policemen were killed while guarding the house of interior security minister Mr Khum Bahadur Khadka. It was not clear if the minister was there at the time.
In the nearby town of Lamahi, another 13 policemen were killed when the rebels attacked their police station. The rebels also killed six civilians in the area after setting their bus on fire.
Police officials said the death toll from the attacks could be much higher.
A state of emergency was imposed on November 26th by King Gyanendra after the rebels withdrew from peace talks. The army was mobilised to help the police fight the guerrillas.
The rebels, who draw their inspiration from Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Tse-tung, have been fighting since 1996 to replace Nepal's constitutional monarchy with a communist state. Over 3,000 people have been killed in the uprising.
AP