Himalayan News Service

Biratnagar, May 11:

Vehicular movement in the eastern region remains disrupted time and again because of the Maoists. Since last week, Maoists have been placing barricades on the road and torching vehicles, including ambulances.

According to Dilip Pokhrel, chief of Eastern Nepal Transport Association, very few vehicles plied in the region this week.

There were a few vehicles on the road today but none went out of Biratnagar yesterday.

The Kosi Bus Entrepreneur Association (KBEA) said vehicles left for Janakpur, Gaighat and Kakarvitta from Biratnagar today. Normally, 11 day-buses and seven night-buses leave Biratnagar daily.

KBEA’s Indra Bahadur Karki said the difficult situation was affecting bus services to many hilly districts in the region.

He said the Maoists torched two trucks at Pathari on Mahendra Highway on Monday.

He added that barricades put up by Maoists on the Siraha section of the highway on Monday night had aggravated the situation, affecting long-route buses.

A report from Kavre said movement today on BP Highway was suspended following the Maoist call for a bandh on Bhakunde-Nepalthok section of the highway indefinitely. Sources said three dozen vehicles which reached the section were seized by the Maoists.

Meanwhile, Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Pyar Jung Thapa inspected the security forces’ base camp at Khara and the Bhairabi Dal battalion at Bohara Gaon in Rukum district, RSS reported.