The month long cease-fire between government and Maoists was shattered Saturday in Gorkha as two persons were injured in a firing by soldiers who earlier nabbed three rebels with explosives before the second round of peace talks, security sources said.
Soldiers fired after a mob went to the army barracks demanding the release of arrested colleagues who were going to attend a mass meeting to commemorate the death anniversary of a rebel leader who died a couple of year ago in the district.
Government and rebels announced a cease-fire to prepare an atmosphere for talks to end a communist insurgency that has claimed more than 1,800 lives in nearly six years. Government has deployed security forces ahead of the second round of talks as rebels broke a pledge to stop acts of violence, officials said.
The second round of talks is being held before Tuesday but not in Rolpa as suggested by insurgents, human rights activist and mediator Padma Ratna Tuladhar told nepalnews Sunday. But this has not been officially confirmed by the government as rebels agreed to meet within a fortnight after the end of the first round of parleys.
Rolpa is the stronghold of the Maoists. The first round of preliminary talks was held in Kathmandu Valley.