Nepal was bracing itself for further violence last night after Maoist rebels, who shot dead 41 policemen at the weekend, vowed to continue their war against the government.
The rebel leader, "Comrade Prachanda", yesterday claimed responsibility for attacks on three police posts in remote areas of western Nepal.
The "popular revolt" against the "unpatriotic and repressive" Prime Minister, Mr Girija Prasad Koirala, would continue, he said. The attacks on Friday night were the most serious by the rebels since last month's palace massacre, when almost the entire royal family - including the king - were gunned down by Crown Prince Dipendra, who then shot himself.
The Maoists have rejected official explanations for the massacre and have instead blamed Nepal's new King Gyanendra, whom they regard as less liberal than his late brother. In a statement, Comrade Prachanda, the chairman of the underground Maoist communist party, said that no political solution was possible in the country without Maoist involvement.
The deputy Prime Minister, Mr Ram Chandra Poudel, said yesterday that the government was ready to meet the Maoists at any time. "We are always ready for talks to end the violence, but the other side is not serious for the meeting."
Most analysts believe there is little prospect of dialogue between the rebels and the government.
"The Maoists are getting what they want - maximum propaganda, demoralising the police and administration, and big hauls of arms and ammunition," Mr Kapil Shrestha, of Nepal's human rights commission, said. Neither side trusted the other, he added.
In the latest attacks, a large group of rebels surrounded a remote police post in Lamjung district, 120 miles west of the capital Kathmandu. At least 21 officers were shot dead in a twohour battle. The rebels killed 10 policemen at Taruka, 50 miles north-west of the capital, and shot 10 more in an ambush at Bamiaksar, 188 miles to the west. Government officials said five rebels also died.
The attacks came on the eve of the new king's 55th birthday, which was marked on Saturday by low-key celebrations across the Himalayan kingdom, where most of the population is still struggling to come to terms with last month's royal killings.
The Maoists have been waging a 51/2-year insurgency against the Nepalese state. The rebels are now active in 60 of the 75 provinces. In recent months they have started to penetrate deep into the Kathmandu valley. Suspected rebels last week planted a bomb outside the prime minister's home. No one was injured in the blast.