KATHMANDU, Aug 10 (Reuters) - Nepal's former Maoist rebels stormed a poorly equipped police post north of Kathmandu, tied up the policemen and stole their weapons, state television said on Friday.

Thursday's incident in Phikure village is the first such case since the Maoists signed a landmark peace deal with the government ending their decade-long civil war that killed more than 13,000 people.

Phikure is about 40 km (25 miles) north of Kathmandu.

State-run Nepal Television said at least 20 Maoists tied three policemen up with ropes and took away two bolt action rifles and about 100 rounds of bullets from them.

The policemen were freed by villagers after the Maoists fled, it said.

A local Maoist leader said the incident would be investigated.

The Maoists, who began fighting the monarchy in 1996, signed the peace deal last year and have stored nearly 3,500 weapons in metal containers under United Nations monitoring.

But Nepali political parties say the former rebels have continued to kidnap, intimidate and extort money despite having joined a multi-party government under the deal.

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