As a two-day general strike ends Saturday, Nepal says at least 37 Maoist rebels have been killed in three separate clashes with security forces. In the capital, Kathmandu, people returned to the streets after the strike closed most shops and businesses.

The strike - called by the rebels - was to protest a state of emergency, extended Thursday for another three months by Nepal's parliament. The state of emergency was imposed in November, when the rebels suddenly broke off peace talks and resumed their bloody campaign. It gives the government additional powers to combat the insurgency. Meanwhile, the Nepalese defense ministry says 37 rebels were pursued and killed by government forces in three separate incidents Friday, mostly in and around western Acham district.

The defense ministry says intensified operations in the western part of the country will continue and that many of the rebels, who were killed, were involved in attacks this past week that left about 170 police and army troops dead.

About 200 rebels, security forces personnel, and civilians have died in violence in western Nepal in the past week, bringing to more than 2500 the number of people killed since the Maoists began their insurgency.

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