Dhangadhi, February 28:

A group of Maoists last night detonated several powerful bombs at Kailali Custom Office at Dhangadhi and abducted five of employees of the office.

Among those abducted were Laxman Gautam, Bam Bahadur Khawas, Hari Lal Shahu, Mukhiya Mahadev Bhatta and helper Rajendra Bohra, district based security source said. However, Bohra and Shahu came in contact with the security forces this morning.

According to eyewitnesses, a rmed Maoists forced the security guard and employees out of the office before carrying out the blasts at around 10 pm.

The blasts caused damages to various rooms of the office including visitors’ room, guardroom, store and residential quarters of the employees. The Maoists had asked the employees living in the residential buildings to vacate them before setting the bombs off.

A bomb disposal squad of security forces defused a bomb left by the Maoists on the premises of the custom office this morning. The Maoists also set off a bomb at the Trinagar police post that is situated near the customs office. No human casualty occurred as the cops are stationed there only in the daytime.

Huge explosive haul in Bhairahawa

Bhairahawa: Police this afternoon seized a big haul of explosives from Bhairahawa that the Maoists were trying to smuggle into Nepal. Police captured the explosive material from the Naya Bus park in Bhairahawa. The explosives were being brought into Nepal via Bhairahawa on an Indian truck (JH 11A 9822). The explosives were buried under heaps of coal.

Following the incident, Dipak Kumar Shah, the truck driver, of Jhumari Talaiya, India, has been absconding.

The seized goods include 10,200 pieces of electric detonator cups, 29,500 pieces of detonator cups, 7,500 metres of fuse wire and 2,500 kg of gelatin. According to SP Bishwo JBR, a helper of the truck has also been taken into custody. — HNS