At least 127 people, mainly policemen and soldiers, were killed in weekend raids by Maoist guerrillas on government installations in Nepal.
In one raid alone more than 100 people were killed in the town of Mangalsen in Achham district, 375 miles west of Kathmandu, officials said today. An unspecified number of rebels were also killed.
"It is a town on fire," said a local radio reporter, adding that residents had said the rebels used rocket bombs to set the buildings on fire.
The weekend attacks were the deadliest ever by the rebels since their struggle to overthrow Nepal's constitutional monarchy began six years ago.
An Interior Ministry spokesman said at least 49 policemen and four others, including a top bureaucrat, were killed late on Saturday when the rebels, said to number 2,000, attacked government offices and police posts in Mangalsen.
A total of 48 army soldiers were also killed in the attack it was reported.