Maoists bomb army spokesman's house

Brigadier General Deepak Gurung's house in Kawasoti village, Nawalparasi district, southwestern Nepal, was "badly damaged in the bomb attack," Radio Nepal said.

Some relatives were inside the house when the rebels attacked Saturday night but none were injured, according to the report.

Media reports said three suspected Maoists riding a motorcycle carried out the bombing before escaping.

Maoists also attacked Gurung's house two years ago, but no one was hurt.

Meanwhile, the army accused the Maoists of killing a seven-year-old girl asleep in her bed during an attack at Dhangadhi, in the remote western district of Kailali on Saturday.

A Royal Nepalese Army statement said the rebels had opened fire "indiscriminately" on a security force patrol.

Also Saturday, a six-year-old boy died when a homemade bomb he found blew up at Toligaon, in the western district of Dadeldhura, the state-run Rising Nepal newspaper reported.

Meanwhile, more than 3,000 demonstrators took to the streets of Kathmandu Sunday calling for the restoration of democracy and an end to royal rule, defying warnings from the authorities not to criticise the king.

An alliance of seven political parties led the protests, the biggest since King Gyanendra sacked the government and assumed total control over the impoverished Himalayan nation on February 1.