Violence in Nepal continued unabated today as thousands of people protesting the proposed new Constitution clashed with the police in which one person was killed, taking the death toll to 11 and prompting authorities to deploy the army in a riot-hit district bordering India.

A curfew imposed yesterday in Tikapur in Kailali district, where an infant and seven security personnel were killed continued for a second day today. Nepal has seen several protests in recent weeks against a new draft constitution being discussed by the constituent assembly but the unrest took an ugly turn yesterday with seven police officers, a two-year-old son of a police officer, and three protesters killed by agitators.

The protesters are against dividing the country in seven provinces with minority ethnic groups arguing that the new constitution would discriminate against them and give them insufficient autonomy. The police had earlier said eight security personnel were killed in the violence yesterday but later revised the toll to seven. Police opened fire at protesters in Gaur in southern Nepal today after they hurled stones defying ban on demonstrations, killing a person.

The administration also decided to deploy army in parts of Kailali district, worst hit by violence, after a meeting of the district security committee declared the area as riot zone, according to home ministry sources.