Dozens of Maoist rebels have ambushed an Army patrol in eastern Nepal and shot dead at least three soldiers, an Army officer says. The officer says one civilian has also been killed in the incident at Kavre district, 80 kilometres east of the capital Kathmandu. He had earlier said the civilian died in cross-fire. In a separate attack in Pokhara, 200 kilometres west of Kathmandu, 11 civilians have been wounded after suspected rebels set off a bomb in a busy market place. Residents say the bomb went off on a footpath and the victims are pedestrians and fruit or vegetable sellers. "It was a deafening explosion," local journalist Rajendra Adhikary said. Police officer Krishna Pageni says the rebels had unsuccessfully targeted an Army truck.
There is no comment from the Maoists on the blast, the second to rock the resort town of Pokhara in two days. The attacks came a day after the Army said it had killed at least 16 rebels in the west of the country.