In a fierce fight in western Nepal during the period from Tuesday night to Wednesday morning, the Nepali security forces foiled the attempt by 4,000 anti-government guerrillas to attack the security force bases, the state-run Radio Nepal reported Thursday.

"In the course of seven-hour long clash, a total of 11 securitymen including four Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) soldiers and seven police personnel were killed at Tansen city, the district headquarters of Palpa district, some 300 km west of Kathmandu," the radio quoted a statement issued by the Ministry of Defence as saying.

The security forces discovered bodies of four guerrillas killed during the clash from 11 p.m. on Tuesday to 6:00 a.m. Wednesday ( local time), the statement said, adding that after having examined the nature of the clash and on the basis of the eyewitnesses' accounts, "the guerrillas could have sustained heavy damage."

Quoting Public Relation Directorate of RNA on Wednesday, the radio and state-run Nepal Television said that 20 securitymen including 17 policemen and three RNA soldiers were killed in the clash. At least 21 security personnel were injured.

The District Administration Office and some government offices based at the Palace and the district police office, the district prison and the telecommunications office were also damaged in the attack while the chief district officer and some security personnel were still out of contact, the radio said.

The security forces confiscated a large quantity of explosives, bomb-making equipment during a search operation carried out in the vicinity of the clash site.

The Home Ministry of Nepal, in a press statement, has strongly condemned the barbaric and cowardly attack by the guerrillas on the city and stressed,"Violence, murder and terrorists activities can never realize the intention of any body."

Source: Xinhua