In the first Maoist attack on the army, 34 soldiers and policemen were killed and many others were injured in overnight attacks on a barrack and police outposts in Syangja and Dang districts,  officials said Saturday.

Dozens of policemen were injured in the Syangja, Dang and other districts nation-wide, officials said. Maoists attacked the Bhagwati gulma or barrack at Ghorai in Dang 360kms west of the capital. Widespread damage to roads and bridges  around Syangja is hampering efforts to  rush injured policemen to nearly hospitals, Radio Nepal said.

Rebels decamped with Rs.210 million looted from banks and financial institutions in the two districts, an official said. The army and armed police have been deployed in the two districts.

Chief district officer of Dang abducted Friday night is still missing while the senior most civilian administrator of Syangja was released, another official said. Insurgents broke a four-month truce Friday and struck targets all over the kingdom causing widespread damage to infrastructure and property.

Maoists leveled the home of Minister of General Administration Khem Raj Mayalu in Dhangadi also the home district of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba in an attack.