Himalayan News Service

Nuwakot, February 28,

One person was killed and three injured when a bomb planted by the Maoists went off this morning at Dhamale of Belkot-VDC, some 16 km south of Bidur, the headquarters of Nuwakot district.

According to the district-based security sources, driver Krishna Bahadur Tamang of the mini truck (Ba 1 Kha 7769), belonging to Rimal Poultry Firm, Battar, died on the spot at 5:30 am.

There were some 650 chickens in the truck, which was heading to Kathmandu from Battar. Tamang was the resident of Mandredhunga in Charghare VDC-2, Nuwakot.

The poultry firm owner Keshav Rimal, 40, of Bidur municipality-4, Shyam Krishna Chalise, the conductor and a young girl Sabitri Khanal were injured in the blast.

Rimal was rushed to the TU Teaching Hospital in Kathmandu while the other two are undergoing treatment at Panchkanya Polyclinic in Dhunge. The blast also killed some 300 chickens. The mutilated body of the deceased was lying some meters down the Pasang Lhamu Highway.

The roadside bomb was set in a 40-litre milk can, the security personnel said after returning from the spot. The explosion has damaged the front left part of the vehicle. The forces believe that the explosive was prepared during the last ceasefire. The cause of the attack on the private vehicle has not been known yet. The Maoists might have attacked the vehicle thinking that it was carrying security personnel.

The people in Nuwakot are still doubtful about the withdrawal of the bandh call. Some buses that had left for Kathmandu early morning returned from the midway after the incident. Only one bus from Kathmandu arrived Trishuli. Trishuli bazaar remained deserted with no vehicles plying on the road and all shops closed.

Meanwhile, our correspondent from Dhading reported that a Royal Nepal Army personnel was killed and six others injured in an ambush planted by the Maoists at Khalchet of Sangkosh VDC this morning. The security sources informed that the ambush had been targeted at a group of army men who were on patrol.

Pyuth Krishna Bahadur Gharti Magar was killed while Durga Timilsina, Mohan Darlami, Raju Tharu and Shatrughan Shahi were injured. The identity of the two injured have not been known yet.

Four injured have been airlifted to Kathmandu via RNA chopper for treatment and two are undergoing treatment at the district hospital in Dhading. The security forces are carrying out a massive search around the incident site.