Nepal's rebel Maoists, who have been fighting a bloody, decade-long insurgency, called a three-month ceasefire on Thursday.
KATHMANDU: Nepal's rebel Maoists, who have been fighting a bloody, decade-long insurgency, called a three-month ceasefire on Thursday.
"Our party once again declares a unilateral ceasefire, effective immediately, for three months," said rebel leader Prachanda.
The rebel army would halt offensive operations against security services, but would remain in "active defense position," said a statement from the Maoist leader.
Some 12,500 people have been killed since the Maoists began their "people's war," in 1996.
Since the rebels ended a four-month unilateral ceasefire in January this year, at least 330 police, soldiers, civilians and rebels have been killed.
Six people, including five Maoists, died overnight Sunday when the rebels attacked government targets in the northeast of the country.
Initially seeking to create a communist republic in Nepal, the rebels now want a democratic republic and a new constitution.
The statement came after King Gyanendra caved in Monday after three weeks of mass protests against his absolute rule and called on opposition parties to reconvene parliament, which was dissolved four years ago.
The royal climbdown, "did not address our party, one of the key forces of the ongoing people's movement," said the rebel leader, whose name means "the fierce one."
Once deadly foes, the rebels formed a loose alliance with opposition parties last November. The Maoists backed an opposition-called nationwide general strike and protests that crippled the country for nearly three weeks and only ended after the king agreed to return power to parliament on Monday.
It was the second concession by the Maoists in 24 hours after announcing the lifting of a blockade of Kathmandu.
They warned the blockade would be re-imposed if their demands were not met at the first session of a reconvened parliament on Friday.
The rebels have called for a constituent assembly that would draft a new constitution, which is likely to limit the powers of the king, who sacked the government and took control of the troubled Himalayan nation almost 15 months ago.
Opposition leaders have said that one of the first acts by the reinstated House would be to call a government ceasefire and they called on the Maoists to match it.
The Maoists are currently observing a ceasefire in the area in and around the capital Kathmandu, called to help the opposition in their general strike and protests that led to Gyanendra's climbdown.
The government and rebels announced a ceasefire in January 2003 but it lasted only seven months after talks between the two sides failed to end the rebellion.
The Maoists also began another ceasefire in September 2005, under pressure from political parties opposed to the king's absolute rule. But it ended in January after the royal government failed to match it and violence rumbled on.
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