Protesters in western Nepal kill police with spears, axes

Protesters in western Nepal kill police with spears, axesKathmandu, Nepal (CNN)Protesters in western Nepal have killed at least seven police officers as violent clashes broke out over the country’s proposals for a new constitution.

Thousands of people had come out onto the streets in defiance Monday, encroaching a “prohibited zone” imposed by the administration since Friday.

A mob surrounded officers in the district of Kailali, in the far west of Nepal as officials attempted to enforce restrictions. The protesters used axes, scythes and spears to attack the officers, Raj Kumar Shrestha, chief district officer of Kailali District, told CNN.

A child was also killed during the attack, Shrestha said. There were no reports of protester casualties.The proposed changes to the constitution — which has been under review since 2008 following a Maoist insurgency which deposed the country’s monarchy — would federalize the country, dividing it into seven provinces.

Members of the country’s Tharu minority have been vocal in their opposition to the plan, which they say would see the group further marginalized. Minorities across the country have been protesting the proposal, demanding their own provinces.