Hundreds of government troops took control Friday of an area where rebels armed with bombs and guns attacked four towns in western Nepal, killing 48 police officers and six civilians, the government said.
Security officials on the ground said the number of deaths was nearly twice that.
Gun battles raged into Friday morning between rebels and the police following the attacks Thursday night on the federal interior security minister’s house, a police station, two banks and a bus in the Dang district, 190 miles west of the capital, Katmandu.
“Reinforcement has been sent from both the capital and around in the area, [and troops] have launched a massive search,” said Junior Internal Security Minister Devendra Raj Kadel, who said 48 police officers had been confirmed dead.
A Nepalese security official patrolling the Nepal-India border said at least 82 police officers and about 10 civilians had been killed in the overnight attack.
More than 3,000 troopers have cordoned off the area, where authorities put a curfew into effect.
