Maoist rebels kill 12 policemen in Nepal

The ambush took place in Birgunj district near Bindhibasini village, south of Kathmandu, when police mounted an operation to rescue a businessman kidnapped for ransom by the rebels last week, a police spokesman said.

"The incident occurred when the police van tripped the ambush (landmine) set up by the rebels," home ministry spokesman Gopendra Bahadur Pandey told AFP.

"A hectic search has been launched to locate the rebels involved in the incident," he added.

Police superintendent Madan Khadka told reporters the policemen were killed before they could take any action against the rebels.

In another incident, two Maoists were killed in a clash with the security forces Sunday night at Rupendahi, southwest of Kasthmandu, police said, without giving details.

Meanwhile, Nepal's communists Sunday formally joined the government of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba after last week agreeing to a common agenda to seek peace with Maoist rebels and fully restore democracy.

The Communist Party-United Marxist and Leninist (NCP-UML) said in a statement it had submitted a list to Deuba of 10 members, headed by politburo member Bharat Mohan Adhikari, for nomination to his government.