At least 12 anti-government guerrillas were killed Wednesday in a clash with the security forces in eastern Nepal, the Royal Nepal Army Public Relations Directorate said Thursday.

The security forces have located bodies of seven guerrillas killed in a skirmish that took place between the two sides at Syabun area of Ilam district, some 300 km east of Kathmandu, the army said in a press release.

Five other bodies of the guerrillas killed in the same incident were reportedly carried off by the fleeing guerrillas from the site of the clash.

The security forces also confiscated rifles, socket bombs and equipment used in setting up body traps by the guerrillas during a search operation conducted after the clash at the incident site, the press release added.

More than 11,000 Nepalese people have lost their lives since the anti-government insurgency broke out in February 1996.

(Xinhua News Agency March 11, 2005)