Maoist rebels launch Nepal attack
From Journalist Akhilesh Upadhyay
KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- Hundreds of Maoist rebels attacked a remote district headquarters in northwestern Nepal early Sunday, killing at least one soldier, according to police.
The attack happened in Khalanga, the district headquarters of Jumla.
Six other policemen are missing from Khalanga, apparently abducted by the rebels, police said.
Meanwhile, a fifth day of a Maoist blockade on the Nepalese capital Kathmandu has forced the prices of essential commodities to skyrocket.
Two bombs exploded in Kathmandu Friday. One bomb hit a commercial center, wounding two people, while another apparently targeted an empty police post on the outskirts of the city, according to news reports.
Kathmandu is linked to the rest of the kingdom by four major highways. The roads also provide a vital link to Indian ports -- the commercial lifelines of the landlocked country.
Though the number of vehicles coming into the Kathmandu Valley increased Saturday, most long-distance public buses and cargo trucks are still off the road.
The Maoists are fighting an eight-year rebellion to establish a communist republic. More than 10,000 people have died in the Maoists' "people's war."
