A powerful bomb went off outside the house of the daughter of Nepal's prime minister Wednesday and a senior police officer was killed in attacks blamed on an escalating Maoist rebellion.
Police said they believed the bomb outside Sujata Koirala's house was planted by the Maoists, who have intensified their violence since the royal massacre last month, as a message to her father, Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala.
"I was rudely awakened by the sound of a big explosion at my main gate but thank god, nobody was hurt and no damage has been caused except crumpling of the iron gate," Sujata told AFP.
"Soon people started gathering towards my house where the explosion took place. I really felt embarrassed to see so many people thronging towards my house to see the event," she added.
Senior Police Superintendent (SSP) Parmeshwor Singh Sijapati, who died in a landmine attack, is believed to be the most senior officer killed by the Maoists since they launched their so-called "people's war" in 1996 against the constitutional monarchy.
He was killed late Tuesday by a landmine allegedly planted by the Maoists in Dang district, 365 kilometres (228 miles) southwest of Kathmandu, police said.
Sijapati, who was returning from a routine patrol accompanied only by his driver, died from his injuries as he was being taken to hospital.
Home secretary Sri Kanta Regmi strongly denounced the killing.
"We are looking for those involved in this heinous crime and will strongly punish them," he said in a statement on Wednesday -- KATHMANDU (AFP)
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