Rebel strike shuts most of Nepal

Traffic on Nepal's has been held up despite army escorts

A three-day-old general strike called by Maoist rebels in Nepal has disrupted life across much of the kingdom.

The shutdown has closed businesses and transport in most districts, but life in the capital remains unaffected.

At least two people, one a schoolboy, have died in bomb attacks blamed on the rebels, who are accused of targeting school exam centres for the first time.

The rebels, who oppose the February royal coup, are enforcing the stoppage through fear of reprisals.

They began their fight to replace Nepal's constitutional monarchy with a communist republic in 1996. Nearly 11,000 people have died in the violence since then.

Market bomb

The rebels say their 11-day general strike call is aimed at forcing political change, following King Gyanendra's seizure of absolute power in February.

The BBC's Charles Haviland in Kathmandu says that disrupting school-leaving examinations is a new departure for the rebels, who have disregarded an appeal from the UN children's fund, Unicef, not to take their battle to schools.

Three others were wounded in the central town of Pokhara on Sunday when a bomb placed in a crowded market went off, killing the schoolboy.

The market had remained open despite the strike call, but has since closed.

In the western city of Nepalganj, a rickshaw puller was killed and more than a dozen people injured.

There are also reports that two girls were injured when rebels attacked a police vehicle carrying examination papers in southern Nepal. The girls went on to sit the exam.

Traffic on Nepal's roads is thin despite some army escorts for vehicles.