Rebels bomb Nepalese police station

Suspected communist rebels bombed a police station just south of the Nepalese capital today, police said. No casualties were reported.

The rebels bombed the police post at Lubhu, 10 miles south of Katmandu during the early hours of today, a senior police officer said on customary condition of anonymity.

No one was wounded in the attack, the officer said, adding that the post was unoccupied. Police moved to a different location earlier in the week because of security risks.

Police were hunting for the attackers in the area, he said.

The rebels – who claim to be inspired by Chinese communist revolutionary Mao Zedong – have been fighting since 1996 to topple Nepal’s monarchy.

The violence has escalated since King Gyanendra seized control of the government in February, a measure he said was necessary to quell the insurgency, which has left more than 11,500 dead.