KATHMANDU, March 7 (Xinhuanet) -- Thirty-one anti-government guerrillas were killed in clashes with security forces Sunday night in the district headquarters of Ilam in eastern Nepal, state-run Radio Nepal reported Tuesday.

    One Royal Nepalese Army personnel and two police personnel diedin the clashes, a Defense Ministry press release stated.

    The guerrillas also killed two civilians during their attack, the release said.

    They took away 103 prisoners after attacking the district jail, the ministry said.

    According to the ministry, the guerrillas launched an attack atthe district headquarters of Ilam, some 600 km east of Kathmandu, targeting District Prison Office, District Administration Office, District Police Office, the army base and other government offices Sunday night.

    The guerrillas fled the area after security forces strongly retaliated, it said.

    The army claimed that the guerrillas suffered huge casualties in the clashes. Enditem