Soldiers are in hot pursuit to nab fleeing Maoists in three districts in far west Nepal after the rebels attacked army barracks and government installations beginning Friday night after breaking a four month truce to end a six-year communist insurgency in the kingdom, the Defence Ministry said Tuesday.

The army has launched ground and air attacks against the fleeing rebels, the Ministry said. There have been heavy casualties on the Maoist side, the announcement said. The numbers were not mentioned. The army is pursuing rebels in Dang, Rolpa and Pyuthan districts, the official announcement said.

The objective of the army is to recover looted SLRs from the army barracks in Dang Friday night to limit the firepower of the rebels. The army foiled an attempt to overrun an army barrack Sunday at Salleri district headquarters at the foot of Mount Everest, the announcement said.

Fifteen bodies of Maoists have been recovered and many others were killed and injured in the attack, the Defence Ministry said quoting eyewitness soldiers. Radio Nepal quoting Minister of State for Home Devendra Kandel said 200 rebels were killed in the attack.

The army foiled Maoist attempts to blow up a repeater station of the Nepal Telecommunications Corporation in Ilam and repulsed attacks on the army in Salyan, Rukum and Rolpa districts, the announcement said.

A night curfew has been slapped in Syangjha district where Maoists killed 14 policemen Friday night.