Kathmandu bomb injures 12
KATHMANDU, Nepal (CNN) -- At least a dozen people were injured Tuesday when a powerful bomb went off in the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu.
Police attributed the blast to Maoist rebels who have waged an eight-year insurgency in the Himalayan state.
The blast was the first major incident in Kathmandu since a nine-day cease-fire announced by the rebels ended last month. The cease-fire was observed to mark Dashian, the most important festival in the Nepalese Hindu calendar.
"The explosive looks very powerful," said a police officer at the site. "But none of the injured looks to be sustaining fatal injuries."
Eyewitnesses said construction workers at the Sanchya Kosh building and pedestrians in the busy downtown New Road area sustained injuries.
Nepali Maoists are fighting to establish a community republic in Nepal, which is a constitutional monarchy. More than 10,000 people have died in the conflict that human rights groups describe as one of the bloodiest in Asia.
Journalist Akhlesh Upadhyay contributed to this report
