6 troops, 2 civilians die in Nepali rebel ambush

The rebel attack late Friday in a district 40km east of the capital Kathmandu was the second against a passenger bus in less than a week, the army said.

"At least six soldiers and two civilians died when the passenger bus struck the landmine set up by terrorists at Narke Bhanjyang in Kavre district Friday evening," a senior army official said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

"Two civilians, who were aboard the bus, were injured and have been airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment," he said, adding he had no more details.

On Monday, 36 people, including three security personnel, were killed and over 70 hurt when rebels blew up a passenger bus in Chitwan district, 180km southwest of Kathmandu.

The attack was one of the bloodiest against civilians since the Maoists took up arms in 1996 to overthrow the monarchy and set up a communist republic.

There was no Maoist comment on the latest landmine ambush but the rebels said the Monday's blast was a mistake and that they had been targeting a security patrol.

The insurgency has claimed over 11,000 lives in the kingdom which was thrown into deeper turmoil four months ago when King Gyanendra dismissed the government and seized power, saying the move was necessary to end the revolt.

Meanwhile, security forces in Nepal disarmed a powerful time bomb that had been planted by suspected Maoist rebels near a health clinic in the heart of the capital Kathmandu Friday, the military said.

"The Royal Nepalese Army bomb disposal squad successfully defused the bomb," an army official told AFP.

"Had the bomb disposal squad not diffused the time bomb in time, many civilians could have been killed," he added, saying that Maoists rebels were suspected of planting the device.