Maoists abduct eight people in Nepal

Nepal's Maoists set off a blast at the house of a Nepali Congress worker injuring one and abducted eight people.

Nepal's Maoists set off a blast at the house of a Nepali Congress worker injuring one and abducted eight people, disrupting a month-long ceasefire even as the new government readied for talks with the rebels.

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The Maoists exploded a bomb at the house of Nepali Congress District Committee member Jogendra Sahahi in Rautahat district of south-east Nepal on Monday injuring one person, a statement by the Royal Nepalese Army said.

Sahani's wife Ramkali Devi sustained serious injury in the incident and has been hospitalised.

The Maoists also assaulted five members of the family before abducting Jogendra's sons Shyam Sunsdar and Shambhu.

According to the Army, they tied the two up and took them to an unknown destination.

The rebels abducted five civilians from Dhangadhi Municipality in western Nepal, the Army said.

They have also abducted a youth from Dharmapur area of Saptari district.

A dozen Maoist cadre detained in the district prison in western Nepal's Kaski were released on Monday as part of the administration's decision to free them gradually.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister KP Sharma Oli urged the Maoists to come for dialogue soon.

Speaking at a function here he urged the rebels to stop putting forth preconditions and come to the negotiating table.

The government is presenting itself in a flexible way for the talks, Oli said.

He added that the government and the Maoists both should be honest in order to make the future talks successful.