Suspected rebels abduct five people in Nepal

Press Trust of India: Hundreds of locals staged an anti-Maoist rally in Hirminiya village in Banke district, 600 km west of here on Tuesday, demanding immediate release of two locals who they said were abducted by the rebels for alleged involvement in robbery, according to police.

The residents chanted slogans against the CPN-Maoists and said those abducted were innocent.

The Maoists have also abducted the chief of Rajbiraj Customs Office, a Nepali Congress district member and a high school head master from different places in Dhanusha district, The Kathmandu Post daily said in a report on Wednesday.

The district committees of the seven party alliance have deplored the Maoists' abduction and warned of retaliation if such acts of abduction and extortions continued.

A man was killed and four others, including two security personnel were injured when a landmine exploded near a security base in Lamahi area of Dang district.

The injured have been admitted to Kohalpur Medical College for treatment, security sources said.

The incidents came a day after Maoist Chief Prachanda asked his cadres to stop extortion of money and shut 'people's courts'.