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Communist rebels blamed as bombs explode in Nepal

Suspected communist rebels exploded two bombs in Nepal's capital yesterday, injuring at least three people, and a third bomb was recovered outside the army headquarters, officials and witnesses said.

Officials also confirmed that at least three dozen government troops and a district official were being held hostage by the rebels after a fierce weekend battle in central Nepal in which scores of people died.

The two bombs that exploded yesterday were placed at city council offices in different parts of Katmandu, police said.

Three people, including a policeman, were injured in one blast, on the southern edge of the city, while no injuries were reported in the second explosion, near the tourist hub of Thamel.

A third bomb was found next to the rear entrance of the army headquarters, about 300m from the offices of the prime minister and several ministries. Army bomb disposal teams were trying to defuse the device, officials said.

Soldiers cordoned off the area and shut the road during the morning rush hour, creating huge traffic jams.

Meanwhile, officials said at least three dozen government troops and the chief officer of Myagdi district, Sagarmani Parajuli, had been taken hostage by the rebels after they attacked government forces at Beni, a mountain town 280km west of Katmandu. At least 28 police and soldiers were killed in the battle on Saturday, described as the fiercest fighting since a ceasefire collapsed last year. Home minister Kamal Thapa said troops recovered the bodies of 112 rebels and were still hunting surrounding areas for the guerrillas.

The army has said as many as 500 rebels could have died in the battle, since the guerrillas are known to drag away the bodies of fallen fighters. But the guerrillas said they lost only about 40 fighters.

The rebels, who say they are inspired by Chinese revolutionary leader Mao Zedong (毛澤東), have been fighting since February 1996 to replace the monarchy with a communist state. The insurgency has claimed more than 9,000 lives.
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