Khotang / Biratnagar June 11:

Three policemen were critically injured in a clash with cadres of the Kirant People’s Party at the Thamkharka airport of Khotang district yesterday.

The clash ensued when cadres of the outlawed group opened fire on them at

Roksingbhanjyang of Badak-adiyale VDC, said DSP in Khotang, Dipak Thapa.

The injured were identified as assistant sub-inspector Srinarayan BK, head constable Dambar Basnet and constable Kumar Tamang. The incident occurred when policemen were heading to the Area Police Office Khotang after providing security to people attending Chandi dance at Roksingbhanjyang, DSP Thapa said.

He said policemen fired 133 rounds on the cadres of the outlawed group.

The locals said the encounter continued till 10:00 pm. “We are Khumbuwan and will spare nobody now,” DSP quoted cadres of the outlawed group. The cadres also looted a rifle and ammunition, he said.

In the last four days, cadres of the outlawed group have attacked VDC offices in several villages of Khotang.

On January 21, cadres of the group attacked police posts in Chisapani, Devsthan and Faktang of Khotang and decamped with seven rifles, two Chinese pistols and five bullets.

Personnel of the Armed Police Force and Nepal Police were patrolling the incident site on a helicopter to nab attackers, DSP Thapa said.

Head constable Dambar Basnet, who was attacked by cadres of the KPP in Khotang, said he did not expect to get out alive. Basnet and 10 other police personnel were at their post at the Thamkhark airstrip in Khotang at 5 pm yesterday when KPP cadres flung the police personnel on the ground and beat them for half an hour .

The injured policemen have been admitted to the Biratnagar-based Kosi Zonal Hospital.

SI Shree Narayan Biswokarma said the police fired 70 rounds in the air to deter

the assailants, but in vain. Constable Tamang said, “They beat us for half an hour and I believe none of us had hoped to see our families again. We survived only because they did not shoot us.”