KATMANDU, Nepal, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- An explosion occurred early Wednesday at the home of a Nepali communist leader whose party is spearheading a campaign against the nation's Maoist rebels.
The blast occurred at the Katmandu home of Lilamani Pokhrel, leader of People's Front Nepal, shattering windows in that and adjacent buildings. There were no casualties, the Indo-Asian News Service reported.
Pokhrel's party was allied with the Communist Party of Nepal -- the Maoists -- until the Maoists decided to break off and start their armed struggle against the state. In recent months the two groups have been leading campaigns against each other.
The Maoists, however, did not immediately claim responsibility for the attack. There was also some speculation that other forces may have been behind the blast.
People's Front Nepal is currently part of a four-party alliance that has been campaigning against the government since 2002. The alliance Monday closed off Katmandu Valley, the site of several Buddhist and Hindu holy shrines, to protest against the government's recent hike in petroleum prices.
