Himalayan News Service

Kathmandu, March 5:

Two bomb explosions rocked the Valley today. Two persons were injured in Thamel where as an employee of the Lalitpur Sub-metropolitan City was hurt in another blast.

A powerful bomb planted by two unidentified persons in Classic Downtown guesthouse of Thamel rocked the bustling commercial hub of Kathmandu this evening. A policeman and a civilian were injured in the blast while the building was damaged. The incident occurred around 7.20 pm.

According to the Sorhakhutte ward police office, two men came to the guesthouse and broke into Room 201 which is a massage parlour. The two, after ordering the guesthouse staff to leave the building, left soon after. "The staff started rushing out in a panic. There was confusion and hurly-burly. In the meantime, a police van reached the spot. The police got off the van, and as soon as a policeman asked people to leave the area, a powerful blast rocked the entire locality. The sound was deafening," Jeevan Poudel, an eye-witness and tourism entrepreneur said. Prem Giri, a police constable and Bishnu Acharya, a worker in the guest house, have been injured. Giri has been taken to Birendra Police Hospital. Nothing is known about Acharya.

In another incident, two Maoists exploded a time bomb at the office of Lalitpur Sub-Metropolitan City in Lukhusi this morning. One person was injured in the blast which occurred around 9.45 am.

Two youths including a girl entered the ward office at 8.30 am when Deputy Mayor Sanu Maharjan was holding a meeting. They claimed to be security personnel and wanted to inspect the office, police quoted the employees as saying. They went to the toilet and returned immediately. No sooner had they left the office, the bomb went off injuring Ram Kumar Shrestha, the office secretary. The locals overpowered the girl and handed over to the Lalitpur District Office.

Police officials say the girl has confessed to be a Maoist and a member of the Kathmandu Valley Bureau. She has been identified as Palsang Lama alias Navina, a permanent resident of Lisankhu VDC in Sindhupalchowk who is presently staying at Imadol in Lalitpur.