Maoists said to have been killed in Nepal

KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- The Nepalese army has killed from 50 to 60 Maoist rebels who attacked a telephone repeater station in a remote district in western Nepal, the government announced on Sunday.

"The dead bodies of 50 to 60 Maoist terrorists were found this morning at Ratomate in Rolpa district," a Defense Ministry statement issued Sunday said.

It also added that the rebels had been killed by Royal Nepal Army soldiers in a fierce gun battle Saturday night.

According to information provided by the government, a large contingent of rebels attacked the telephone tower at Ratomate. Soldiers guarding the tower opened fire and called in additional reinforcements which were rushed to the site in helicopters.

"The soldiers saved the tower and inflicted heavy casualties on the terrorists," the ministry's statement said. It also reported that four government soldiers were killed in the firefight.

The tower at Ratomate is an important one which connects three rural western districts, Rolpa, Rukum and Jajarkot , to the national telecom network.

Telecom officials at the nearby town of Dang said that communications had been disrupted since the attack occurred.

Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry also said that 11 Maoists were killed Sunday at Beladevipur, a village in Kailali district in western Nepal. The ministry said that the 11 were killed in a gun battle with security forces.

Only the government side is providing information on events since emergency rule was imposed on this Himalayan kingdom late last month.

Journalists are barred from going to the operational areas where the army has been deployed.