Nepalese security forces claimed to have shot dead 12 Maoists as life remained paralysed in central and eastern Nepal on the second day of a strike called by the rebels to protest the killing and incarceration of their comrades.

All five zones, including the Kathmandu valley, were badly affected by the strike. Schools and colleges and major markets remained shut. Vehicular traffic was thin.
 
An army statement said 12 rebels were shot dead on the first day of the strike on Tuesday.

Though the strike remained largely peaceful, it dampened the enthusiasm associated with the week-long Hindu festival --  Indrajatra.

Domestic air services were badly hit by the strike.

The two-day strike brought more bad news for Nepal's ailing tourism industry. Most of the tourists were confined to hotel rooms.

"Our hotel was just recovering from a month-long strike, the two day shut down has further hit the business," said a marketing staff at Hotel Soaltee Crowne Plaza.