September 04, 2007	Tuesday	Sha'aban 21, 1428

KATHMANDU, Sept 3: Two ethnic groups from Nepal’s restive southern Terai region on Monday claimed responsibility for bombs that killed two people and injured around 30 in the country’s capital over the weekend.

The three near-simultaneous explosions on Sunday, one in a minibus, one at a bus stand and one outside Nepal’s Army headquarters, prompted immediate condemnation from the government, former rebel Maoists and the United Nations.

Officials and local media said two little-known ethnic groups from the southern region – the Terai Army and the Nepal People’s Army – said they had carried out the attacks.

“Our group takes responsibility for the three blasts in Kathmandu. We want a separate state for the 19 districts of the Terai region,” a man claiming to be a central committee member of the Terai Army also said.

“If our demands are not met we will take further action and attack parliament,” said the man, who only gave his name as Raj and who was speaking from an undisclosed location near Nepal’s southern border with India.

In May, the same group claimed responsibility for a series of small blasts that injured 14 people.

In a separate claim that could also not be verified, a man claiming to be a member of the Nepal People’s Army said the attacks were aimed at forcing “the government to declare Nepal a republic immediately”. Since Nepal’s government reached a peace deal with former rebel Maoists last year, numerous ethnic groups have demanded a greater voice in mainstream politics.

At least 100 people have been killed in the unrest that international observers, including the United Nations, say could threaten elections planned for November.

Nepal is due to go to the polls later this year to elect a body that will rewrite the country’s constitution and decide the fate of King Gyanendra.

The monarch was forced to end 14-months of much criticised authoritarian rule last April after massive protests organised by sidelined political parties and the Maoists.

“These attacks are a conspiracy by those who want to disrupt the elections,” government spokesman and Maoist official Krishna Bahadur Mahara said.

“We appeal to all people to remain unified, and to retaliate against any kind of conspiracies so that we can ensure the constituent assembly elections are held on time,” Mahara said.

A spokesman for Nepal’s home ministry confirmed that two groups had claimed responsibility for the attacks, but said it was not yet possible to confirm who planted the bombs.

“A couple of groups have claimed responsibility for the attacks but we think there will be more groups who will claim responsibility,” Baman Prasad Neupane told AFP.

“There are around 17 small armed groups in the Terai and anybody could have done these blasts,” Neupane said.

Nepal’s former rebel Maoists, who ended their decade-long civil war last year and joined the government earlier this year, quickly condemned the attacks, which they said were aimed at derailing the polls.

“Regressive forces are behind these attacks who want to derail the ongoing peace process and disrupt the campaign for a democratic republic and constituent assembly elections,” Maoist supremo Prachanda said in a statement.—AFP