Kathmandu, February 19:

The Human Rights Treaty Monitoring Coordination Committee (HRTMCC) has condemned the security forces and the Maoists for rights violations in their recent encounters in Nawalparasi and Rupandehi districts. The security forces reportedly used civilian houses while defending themselves while the Maoists killed a security personnel in their captivity.

The HRTMCC said 17 security persons, three Maoists and one civilian were killed during the

encounters on February 9, but the authorities put the number of security men killed at 14.

The HRTMCC, however, has lauded the Maoists in its report for the release of 12 security personnel, who were abducted following clashes in Nawalparasi and Rupandehi. All the security personnel were released in presence of the representatives of the Informal Sector Service Centre and HRTMCC on February 9. Six civilians and 23 security personnel were injured in the incident.

The report said that the teams of security personnel that were dispatched to open the Sunwal-Butwal section of Mahendra Highway blocked by the Maoists, were attacked in Sunwal, Nawalparasi, on February 9. On the same day, the Maoists had bombed a vehicle belonging to the security forces at Devdaha VDC, Rupandehi district. The Maoists also reportedly opened fire at four vehicles used by the security forces in Sunwal.

The security personnel used civilian houses in defence during an encounter with the Maoists in Devdaha, where a two-storey house of one Anirudhra Pandey was damaged. Other civilian residences were also damaged in the crossfire.

A government official reportedly informed the HRTMCC that the government was yet to receive complaints on the damages, but it was thinking about compensations for the victims.

Netra Pandey, the Maoist district people administrative chief, told the HRTMCC that the Maoists were trying to follow the guidelines of the Geneva Convention, while labelling the killing of individuals not involved in warfare highly objectionable.