Nepal hunts for missing troops after rebel attack

KATHMANDU, Tuesday (Reuters) - Nepal rushed hundreds of troops to the country's west to hunt for at least 140 soldiers missing after fierce fighting with Maoist rebels, but bad weather was hampering operations, a senior army officer said on Tuesday.

Heavy monsoon rains were making it difficult for helicopters to land near the site of the weekend gun battle in the remote Kalikot district, 600 km (375 miles) from the capital, Kathmandu, the officer said.

"We have already sent additional troops to the area. More soldiers are being sent," he said. "Soldiers are blocking the nearby mountain passes to stop the guerrillas from fleeing."

The rebels said 159 troops were killed and another 50 captured in the firefight that began after hundreds of Maoist guerrillas attacked an army camp set up to construct a road linking Surkhet town with the backward region of Karnali that borders Tibet.

The claim could not be independently verified because there are no communication links with the remote area.

The army said one soldier was killed and three others wounded in the attack and that it was able to contact eight soldiers on Monday.

A local contractor who fled the area and arrived at the Kalikot district capital of Manma told the Kantipur daily the attacked camp was still smouldering on Monday.