More than 6,500 anti-government guerrillas have been killed in clashes with the government security forces since the insurgency began in Nepal in early 1996,a government spokesman said here Friday.

Since the breakdown of the second cease-fire in August last year, at least 2,700 guerrillas have been killed, 500 others feared dead and over 200 wounded, Home Ministry Spokesman Lokendra Pandy said at the Royal Nepal Army headquarters.

Meanwhile, a total of 1,147 guerrillas have surrendered to the government, he said.

On the government side, a total of 572 army soldiers, 1,265 civil policemen and 254 armed police personnel were killed in the clashes, he added.

Source: Xinhua