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KATHMANDU, Dec 5 (Reuters) - About 1,000 Maoist rebels, trying to overthrow Nepal's constitutional monarchy, stormed two police posts in different parts of the country late on Wednesday killing at least three police officers, officials said.

Three policemen had been killed when the armed guerrillas, campaigning for a one-party communist republic, had raided a police post at Lahan in Siraha district, 550 km (345 miles) east of Nepal's capital shortly before midnight, they said.

The latest attacks come a day after the rebels appealed for talks with authorities to end the insurgency, which has claimed over 7,200 lives since 1996, and vowed to stop attacks on power, transport and communications links as well as on rival activists to help pave the way.

"The rebels bombed the police post and fired from automatic weapons at security personnel killing three policemen after a brief gun battle," a Home (interior) Ministry official told Reuters.

He said the rebels, inspired by the late Chinese communist leader Mao Zedong, also bombed some government offices and ransacked state-run banks.

"The rebels, however, left behind about 40 kilos of gold and jewellery and some cash looted from the banks after being chased by police before fleeing," the official said.

Another official said the rebels also stormed a police post at Chandrauta in Kapilvastu district, 300 km (190 miles) west of Kathmandu but there were on casualties.

Interim Prime Minister Lokendra Bahadur Chand has said he is ready for talks with the rebels but insists they can only begin if the guerrillas make a formal proposal in a letter to the government.

The rebels made no mention of stopping attacks on government forces.

The violence has seriously hurt the impoverished nation's aid-dependent economy, crippling tourism and scaring off investors.

Efforts to end the revolt collapsed late last year when the rebels walked out of talks after the government refused to abolish the monarchy, a popular institution in the Hindu kingdom. 

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Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
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