Himalayan News Service

Gaighat, January 17:

Two Maoists were killed when security forces and the Maoists clashed at Sitapur VDC of Siraha district last evening.

The Maoists’ district committee member Balram Yadav, alias Manoj, and area committee member Anand Yadav, alias Nathuni, were killed in the encounter that began after the Maoists attacked the security forces on a search mission at around 5:00 pm, a source at the RNA 18 number brigade in Gaighat said. One pistol, two magazines, 10 bullets, donation receipts and other Maoist documents have been recovered from the site, the source said.

Meanwhile, according to our Ilam correspondent, two Maoists were killed when an ambush they were trying to plant on the Ilam-Phidim section of the Mechi Highway near Puwa Khola went off last night.

According to the locals, the two were killed in the blast at around 11:00 am. The Maoists buried their comrades’ bodies near the blast site.

Meanwhile, local residents here said two Maoists were killed and twelve injured in the security forces’ January 11 air raids on the Maoists’ biggest arms manufacturing factory at Barchhen-4, Sirsiya of Doti, a report from Dipayal said.

According to the locals who arrived here today from Barchhen, Nara Bahadur Pun of the Matniyal VDC in Kailali and another Maoist called Ajay were killed on the spot. Another 12 Maoists were injured in the raids. They said the Maoists’ mine making factory was completely destroyed in the attack but other weapon making factories remained unhurt.

Maoists used to manufacture explosives, bullets, SLR, .303 rifles, SMG and other modern weapons in the factories, they said. Out of the seven plants located in the area, only one factory was destroyed in the raids. The Maoists have already shifted the rest six factories to unknown location, the locals said.