Kathmandu: Maoist rebels on October 20 abducted two British officials who were in Nepal to recruit personnel for the Gurkha Regiment of the UK Army, official reports said.

Three Nepalese citizens including a welfare officer were also abducted along with the recruitment officer and another official of the British Army from Baglung district, 500 km West of Kathmandu, Radio Nepal said.

Every year, about 250 Gurkhas are taken into the 3,400-strong Gurkha Regiment of the British Army and the rebels have been opposing the recruitment by the foreign Army.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Surya Bahadur Thapa called upon the rebels to end violence and come for a dialogue, honouring people's aspiration for establishing lasting peace in the country.

Assuring that the government was ready to solve the impasse through dialogue, Thapa, however, warned that it will take strong measures to curb the terror and violence unleashed by the rebels if they did not abandon path of violence.

PTI