Two soldiers and 17 Maoists, including two women, were killed in continuing operations against rebels nation-wide Tuesday and Wednesday, the Defence Ministry and local security agencies said.

A soldier died in a grenade explosion during hot pursuit of rebels at Pyuthan and another soldier died at Pukuwa in the same district during a shoot-out with insurgents Tuesday, the Ministry said. The army was pursuing fleeing rebels from neighbouring Argakanchi district.

Exact Maoist casualty figures are not yet available in Pyuthan, an announcement said. The army shot dead nine Maoists in Dang Tuesday, including Sohan and Chanak.

Four rebels were killed in Kailali, including Sukhram, Dila, Sunita and Dipak, and one in Gorkha Tuesday. Security forces shot dead three rebels who attempted to break a security cordon at Bhadgaon in Sunsari Wednesday, local security agencies said.

Security forces recovered Rs.100,000 in cash and documents from the clash site. Two rebels were arrested on the spot and area commander Bal Kumar Sarki was arrested by security forces from another area in the district.

The army and locals Wednesday dug out 19 more bodies from graves around Sandhikarkha, district headquarters of Argakanchi, bringing to 40 the number of rebel bodies recovered from the area after Monday’s clash with rebels, local authorities said. Six bodies were draped in the party flag indicating they were senior cadre of the underground party.

More than 200 Maoists are believed to have been killed in the encounter with security forces. A policeman injured in Argakanchi died in Pokhara while undergoing treatment Wednesday, local reports said.

The market remained closed in Sandhikharka Wednesday two days after the rebels attack, reports from the area said.

Maoists overpowered guards at the Nepal Bank Ltd. at Bhandara in Chitwan Wednesday and decamped with Rs.1.2 million in cash and 1.34 lakhs worth of jewelery and two guns of the guards, local officials said.

Maoists abducted six CPN-UML activists, including student leader Bishal Bhattarai, from Sitapokhari in Khotang Monday, the party said Wednesday. Rebels destroyed the Moti range forest post in Parbat Tuesday in an arson attack, local officials said.

Rebels attacked and damaged the village development committee office of Changhunarayan in Bhaktapur district Wednesday, police said.

Rebels continued to create a scare by planting bombs in the capital and Lalitpur Wednesday.