Maoists kidnap, kill 3 Nepalese soldiers

Nepali Congress activists holding party flags are arrested by the riot police during an anti-King protest near the Central Secretariat, the main government offices, in Kathmandu yesterday. At least 41 people were arrested by the riot police during the protest, held for the first time near government offices in defiance of a ban on public rallies, protesting against the King's power grab. PHOTO: AFP

"The three unarmed security men were tied, severely beaten and stabbed on different parts of their bodies before they were shot dead at Jafe area in Ramechhap district on Saturday," the army said in a statement.

Ramechhap is 150km east of the capital.

"The security forces have strongly denounced the killing of the unarmed soldiers as a cowardly act of terrorists," the army said.

The rebels have been fighting for a communist republic since 1996 and the uprising has already claimed more than 11,000 lives.

Meanwhile, riot police yesterday arrested several dozen demonstrators outside Nepal's main government offices for breaking a ban on protesting the king's power grab last month, police said.