KATHMANDU, April 9: Violent protests against the king spread across Nepal on Sunday as a third person was shot dead by troops and thousands of activists defied a curfew to burn government vehicles and clash with police. Nepal’s seven main political parties, who began a four-day nationwide general strike and protests on Thursday, said they were extending the campaign indefinitely to pile pressure on King Gyanendra to end his absolute rule and restore democracy.

Sunday’s protests came despite stringent security across the mountainous nation, wedged between Asian giants India and China.

One protester was killed on Sunday when police opened fire in Banepa, about 30 km east of Kathmandu, when demonstrators tried to storm a police post, a Home Ministry official told Reuters.

It was the third death from firing by troops since Saturday.

A woman bystander, wounded in police firing on Saturday in a town south of the capital Kathmandu, died on Sunday. Another protester was shot dead by the army in the western tourist resort town of Pokhara, also on Saturday.

Nepal’s seven main political parties, who had called the nationwide strike and protests that shut down the country said they were extending the campaign indefinitely.

“Our protest movement is reaching new heights. We will intensify it further,” said Gyanendra Bahadur Karki, a top leader of the Nepali Congress (Democratic) party.

The move was expected to cause the government to extend the curfew in Kathmandu and many other towns and keep mobile phone services suspended, government sources said.

The seven political parties had planned a big rally against the king in Kathmandu on Saturday but tough security meant that only a handful of small protests could be held.—Reuters