Monday, June 27 2005 14:13 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kathmandu: At least a dozen security personnel were killed in a fierce clash with maoists in western Nepal where rebels abducted nearly 340 people, including 90 students from a school.

Six Royal Nepalese Army personnel and six policemen were killed when rebels attacked a joint patrol party at Khana village of Arghakhachi district, 450 km west of Kathmandu on Saturday (Jun 25, 2005) night, state-run National News Agency reported today (Jun 27, 2005) quoting Army sources.

Some maoists were also killed but the rebels carried away the dead bodies, the sources said.

Additional security personnel and helicopters were dispatched from Western Divisional Headquarters, Pokhara to the site.

Earlier on Saturday, maoists abducted 90 students from a school in Gulmi district.

Sources said the ninth and tenth grade students were abducted from the remote Paudi Amrai village and authorities, who were awaiting more information, have sounded an alert.

The maoists also abducted 250 local people from a village in Kanchanpur district, according to Army sources.

The rebels also bombed a private school in Salyan destroying the building but no casualties were reported.

The maoists had issued a public statement last week saying that they would not harm civilians and unarmed people.