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KATHMANDU, Wednesday (AFP) At least 152 Maoist rebels and five soldiers have been killed in a fierce clash in southwestern Nepal, army officials said.

An army spokesman said a group of about 500 guerrillas attacked a security post overnight in Khara village in Rukum, 320 kilometres (198 miles) southwest of Kathmandu.

"The army fought very bravely with the rebels which forced the terrorists to run away leaving behind some automatic guns, self-loading rifles (SLR's) and explosives on the scene, a defence ministry press release said.

"More than 152 bodies of Maoists have been recovered so far," state-run radio reported Tuesday evening.

Cabinet sources said 10 civilians were also killed while 20 soldiers were injured in the clash before being flown to Kathmandu for treatment.

The violence came as King Gyanendra Monday night extended by three months a state of emergency imposed to tackle the Maoist insurgency after it expired at midnight on Saturday. 

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