AT LEAST FIVE MAOIST REBELS AND A NEPALI SOLDIER WERE KILLED WHEN HUNDREDS OF REBELS STORMED AN EASTERN TOWN OVERNIGHT, THE ARMY SAID ON MONDAY. SUNDAY NIGHT'S ATTACK BY THE INSURGENTS -- WAS AMONG THE BIGGEST IN NEARLY THREE WEEKS SINCE A MASS PRO-DEMOCRACY CAMPAIGN ERUPTED ACROSS THE IMPOVERISHED HIMALAYAN KINGDOM. THE ATTACK TOOK PLACE IN CHAUTARA, ABOUT 100 KM (60 MILES) EAST OF KATHMANDU "WE HAVE FOUND BODIES OF FIVE MAOISTS IN COMBAT DRESS. ONE SOLDIER ALSO DIED," AN ARMY OFFICER TOLD REUTERS, ADDING THAT FOUR CIVILIANS WERE WOUNDED IN THE CROSSFIRE. "WE HAVE FOILED THEIR ATTEMPT TO OVERRUN THE TOWN," HE SAID. CHAUTARA LIES IN THE HILLS OF SINDHUPALCHOWK DISTRICT, A STRONGHOLD OF THE REBELS. A REUTERS REPORTER ON HIS WAY TO THE AREA SAID THAT THE REBELS HAD BLOCKED THE ROAD ABOUT 30 KM (20 MILES) SHORT OF CHAUTARA TOWN WITH FALLEN TREES AND BOULDERS, APPARENTLY TO PREVENT TROOPS FROM RUSHING IN REINFORCEMENTS. DISTRICT AUTHORITIES HAD REQUESTED HELICOPTER SUPPORT AND REINFORCEMENTS, ONE GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL SAID, WHILE SOME LOCALS NEAR THE AREA SAID THE FIGHTING COULD STILL BE GOING ON. NEWS OF THE ATTACK CAME AS AN ALLIANCE OF SEVEN POLITICAL PARTIES VOWED TO HOLD MORE PROTESTS ON MONDAY FOR THE 19TH CONSECUTIVE DAY, AND BRING HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE ONTO THE STREETS OF KATHMANDU FOR A MAJOR RALLY ON TUESDAY. "WE ARE PREPARING FOR A MASSIVE RALLY, TO FILL THE ENTIRE RING ROAD WITH PEOPLE," KASHINATH ADHIKARY, AN OFFICIAL FROM THE COMMUNIST PARTY OF NEPAL (UML), THE COUNTRY'S SECOND BIGGEST POLITICAL PARTY, TOLD REUTERS. HE SAID TOP LEADERS WOULD LEAD THE DEMONSTRATIONS ON TUESDAY FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THIS ROUND OF PROTESTS BEGAN ON APRIL 6. ALTHOUGH THE 27 KM (17-MILE) RING ROAD LIES WITHIN THE CURFEW ZONE, LARGE STRETCHES ARE IN THE HANDS OF THE PROTESTERS, WITH BURNING LOGS AND TYRES BLOCKING ACCESS TO SECURITY FORCES. AUTHORITIES CLAMPED A FRESH CURFEW ON THE CAPITAL FROM 11 A.M. UNTIL 6 P.M. IN A BID TO THWART MONDAY'S PLANNED PROTESTS. ON FRIDAY KING GYANENDRA, WHO SEIZED POWER LAST YEAR, OFFERED TO HAND IT OVER TO THE SEVEN-PARTY ALLIANCE, BUT HIS OFFER WAS REJECTED BY THE PARTIES AND HAS FAILED TO QUELL THE PROTESTS.
