Kathmandu, April 6: The nation-wide strike called by the underground Maoists to commemorate the fall of the Panchayat rule 11 years ago was generally peaceful except for a few incidences Friday.

Life in the Kathmandu Valley and other parts of the kingdom came to a standstill, as vehicles stayed off the road, businesses, schools and industrial establishments remained closed.

Rebels however set off explosions at the home of Water Resources Minister Baldev Sharma Majgaiya Friday morning in Dang, west Nepal, damaging his home although nobody was injured in the attack, a Home Ministry official said. Insurgents also attacked and injured activists of the ruling Nepali Congress party in Jumla Friday. A police post in Mugu was destroyed and a truck defying the strike call was torched in Chitwan.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister Ram Chandra Poudel Friday told a news conference “Necessary homework is being done to launch an integrated security and development programme in places affected by terrorist activities,” without elaborating on what the integrated programme was.

Answering a query on whether the army had been mobilised after Sunday nights daring attacks in Rukumkot and other places, Poudel said, “The army has not been mobilized as yet but the government has taken the latest developments seriously. We feel the terrorists are not serious about talks. The government is always prepared for negotiations and welcomes any efforts to bring the Maoists to the negotiating table. Maoists are just pretending they want negotiations.”

Giving details of the casualties Poudel said altogether 1627 persons had been killed in the more then five years of internal violence and property worth over Rs 900 million damaged in rebel attacks.