Kathmandu, March 20 (Reuters): At least 16 people, including 13 soldiers, were killed in a new outbreak of violence in Nepal today, a day after Maoist rebels ended a crippling road blockade, the army and witnesses said.

The soldiers and a rebel were killed in a gun battle in Kavre district 80 km east of Kathmandu early in the day as the guerrillas attacked soldiers on their way to fix water supply lines disrupted by the Maoists.

“There was a gun battle for nearly two hours and we have recovered the body of one rebel. We have lost 13 boys,” an army officer said.

Elsewhere, two civilians were killed in a bomb blast near the eastern town of Biratnagar, 550 km from Kathmandu, local journalist Bickram Neupane said. The bomb had apparently been left by the rebels on a bridge to enforce the road blockade that they ended yesterday.

Today packed buses and trucks loaded with supplies were again rolling across the country after the six-day disruption to commerce and transport across the Himalayan nation.

But even as the Maoists ended their siege of Kathmandu and other towns after an appeal from the country’s seven main political parties, they endorsed a new series of protests planned for early next month.

The rebels and the parties also reaffirmed their “strong commitment” yesterday to a deal they struck last November to work together against King Gyanendra, who seized power last year.

The blockade had choked supplies since Tuesday, raising prices of essential goods, causing fuel shortages and leaving thousands stranded across the nation.

“Passengers carrying their bags are running to catch buses, and trucks loaded with goods have started moving since early morning,” said Sagar Adhikary, a resident of Narayanghat.

Maoists had mainly enforced the blockade by threatening reprisals against anyone who broke it. They also set up some roadblocks and sporadically attacked vehicles.

The rebels also called off a general strike planned for April 3. but endorsed a strike called by political parties beginning on April 6.