One dead as Nepal rebels vow to step up blockade

The rebel defiance came a day after the government appealed to the Maoists to call off the blockade and resume negotiations to end the increasingly deadly insurgency which has claimed nearly 10,000 lives since 1996.

The Maoists have not physically surrounded the city but have warned transporters not to enter the Kathmandu Valley, leading to a siege mentality that has sent some prices soaring in local markets.

The rebels announced they would start a new blockade next Saturday to prevent transport from the only land connection into Tibet, the Kodari pass, 115 kilometers (70 miles) north of Kathmandu.

"This blockade will stop all vehicles from moving to the frontier," read a statement from Devi Khadka, also known as Asita, who is the Maoist general secretary for three districts near the border.

While the blockade of the Tibetan border is unlikely to have an immediate impact on Kathmandu, it could hinder the growing overland trade with China and for tourists who cross the Himalayas into Tibet.

The Maoists are fighting to abolish the monarchy and draw inspiration from communist China's founder Mao Zedong, although they are disavowed by Beijing, which this month hosted Nepal's Crown Prince Paras.

In the latest violence in the under-siege Kathmandu Valley, suspected Maoists gunned down a police sub-inspector at Chabahil on the capital's outskirts.

Prithbi Bahadur Singh, the head police guard posted to the Gopi Krishna cinema, was hit by two bullets to the chest when he entered the theatre's front yard, a police official said.

He had no explanation as to the motive. The Maoists have regularly targetted businesses that do not pay "donations" to the rebel cause.

On Friday, the rebels bombed two buildings and opened fire on security forces, injuring a guard who remains in a serious condition, police said.