Maoist bomb wounds 16 in western Nepal
Wed 29 Jun 2005
KATHMANDU, June 29 (Reuters) - Suspected Maoist rebels hurled a crude bomb near a hospital in western Nepal, wounding at least 16 civilians, an army officer said on Wednesday.
"The bomb, which was aimed at an army truck, missed its target, hit an electric pole and exploded in front of the Nepalgunj Medical College," the officer told Reuters.
"All those injured were pedestrians."
One of the wounded was in critical condition after the blast late on Tuesday in Nepalgunj, 500 km (315 miles) west of Kathmandu.
Maoist rebels have been fighting to set up a communist republic in the impoverished Himalayan kingdom for years.
The latest attack comes ten days after the insurgents announced they would not target civilians.
Early this month, the Maoists set off a landmine under a crowded bus, killing at least 38 people. They said the attack was a mistake and aimed at the army.
Rebel violence has continued after King Gyanendra seized power in February saying the move was required to crush the insurgency which has claimed around 12,000 lives since 1996.
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