ONCE-OVER

3 Maoists killed in blast

PHIDIM: Three Maoists were killed when socket bombs they were preparing went off at Nakkale of Sidin VDC-9 in Panchthar district on Sunday afternoon. Three civilians were severely injured in the blast. According to the locals, the explosion occurred in a house owned by Sauraha Maila and killed two Maoists Badal and Rakesh on the spot while Kedar, the third one died at Chuche Bhir while being taken to a safer place by his friends. The house owner Sauraha Maila and another person was injured.— HNS

Maoists kill cop

RAUTAHAT: A police constable, Lalbabu Yadav, was killed and head constable Ramji Prasad Dhamala sustained injuries in a Maoist attack at a police post in Gaur on Sunday night. Dhamala, who hails from Chitwan, was rushed to Kathmandu for treatment, the District Police Office, Rautahat, said. On the same night, Maoists detonated a bomb near the Shreeram Sugar Mills premises at Garuda Bazaar. No casualties were reported. — HNS

Chakkajam on Thursday

HETAUDA:The Narayani Zonal Committee of the CPN-UML has announced a daylong chakkajam on Thursday. "We decided to bar vehicular movement along the sectors of the Tribhuvan and Mahendra Highways," said UML zonal secretary Annanta Poudel, adding: "The objective of the strike is to protest the government interference on the five-party agitation." Issuing a press release on Sunday, the party also requested the government to withdraw its announcement of violence-prone areain the capital. The party has warned that it would call an indefinite chhakajam from April 25 if the government pays no heed to its demands. — HNS

UML cadre shot

LAHAN: Members of a gang shot a CPN-UML cadre, Yogendra Yadav, at the village of Bhagwanpur on Sunday. Yadav, a resident of Kalyanpur village development committee, was attacked when he was returning home with colleagues. Police is investigating the case, it is reported.— HNS

65-year-old abducted

GAIGHAT: Maoists on Sunday abducted a 65-year-old man from Dhaudi of Rampur Thoksila village development committee ward number two, Udayapur. Umesh Katuwal, a local, said that a group of 7 to 8 Maoists abducted Krishna Bahadur Tamang at about four in the morning. — HNS

Bhutanese refugee issue

Damak: Participants of a seminar on Monday stressed the need to raise the Bhutanese refugee issue in the United Nations. Presenting papers at the concluding session of the four-day seminar organised by the South Asia Forum for Human Rights in Damak, the participants addressed the plight of the refugees. They pointed out the need to find donor organisations willing to support the refugees and appealed to the United Nations Hign Commission for Refugees not to stop its support to the refugees. The participants also demanded work permit for Bhutanese refugees in Nepal. — HNS

HURON calls for release

Kathmandu: The Human Rights Organisation of Nepal (HURON) has condemned the abduction of government employees and villagers from Dolpa, Taplejung and Accham districts by the Maoists and has called for their immediate release. Tilak Dhakal, 41, chief of Northern Mountain Conservation Plan, Dolpa, Durga Thebe, 38, farmer of Amweguden, Taplejung and Tarka Bahadur Rawal, of Kalika village development committe, Sugali of Accham district were kidnapped in different times from different places, the HURON statement says seeking their unconditional release. — HNS