Five policemen killed in rebel attack

Maoist rebels riding on motorbikes attacked a police patrol in western Nepal, killing five police officers.

Maoist rebels riding on motorbikes attacked a police patrol in western Nepal, killing five officers, police said Friday.

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A sixth officer who was on the patrol was missing after the assault, police official Shyam Prasad.

The attack occurred Thursday near the town of Gulariya, about 550 kilometers (350 miles) west of the capital, Katmandu. The insurgents stole the men's weapons before fleeing, Prasad said.

The rebels have been fighting since 1996 to overthrow this Himalayan kingdom's monarchy and set up a communist state. The conflict has claimed more than 9,000 lives. Fighting has escalated since the rebels withdrew from a cease-fire in August.