6 protesters killed by army in east Nepal

The soldiers shot the demonstrators after they had gathered and fired two shots to protest the death of a woman who was killed by troops in an "ambush" after reported "suspicious activities" near the camp on Tuesday evening, the official said.

"For self-defence they opened fire and killed six people and injured three others," said the official on customary condition of anonymity.

A rights activist said some 2,000 people had gathered at the base after rumours spread that the woman had been raped and killed by a soldier.

Security forces opened fire at 1:30 pm (0745 GMT) at the camp in the town of Belbari, 590 kilometres (370 miles) southeast of Kathmandu, said Kundan Aryal, general secretary of Informal Sector Service Centre, a Nepalese rights group.