KATHMANDU: Maoists waging a 10-year armed insurgency in Nepal bombed a television repeater tower on Wednesday in Heated, about 80 kilometres south of Kathmandu, media reports said.

According to reports not immediately confirmed officially the television tower was destroyed, preventing the reception of Nepal Television signals in many parts of south-central Nepal.

Media reports quoting witnesses said three Maoists came to the television tower on bicycles and overpowered the lone employee before setting off the explosion. Meanwhile, the government on Wednesday extended the night time curfew hours in the Kathmandu Valley in view of the increased Maoist violence.

According to a government notification broadcast over Radio Nepal, the new curfew hours will be 9 pm to 4 am. The government first imposed nighttime curfew in the Kathmandu Valley and other major urban areas across Nepal on Sunday following Maoist attacks on police check posts in the valley that left 12 policemen dead.

Political analysts say the Maoists could have intensified their attacks ahead of the municipal polls scheduled for February 8. The Maoists have pledged to disrupt the polls which are also being boycotted by seven political parties fighting King Gyanendra’s rule.

Meanwhile, Maoists will not infiltrate or cause disturbances at a demonstration planned by opposition parties this week, the rebel leader said in an emailed statement on Wednesday. "Our party cadres will not be involved in any activity that creates unrest in the alliance’s peaceful demonstration," Maoist leader Prachanda said.

Organisers from seven opposition parties ousted by King Gyanendra nearly a year ago have said that they will defy the ban and go ahead with the planned mass protest on Friday.