Bara, February 28:

At least 15 persons, including nine security personnel, were injured today when opium farmers clashed with the police at Paterwa VDC in Bara.

Locals clashed with the police after the latter started destroying the illegal plantation of the herb in the VDC.

Six villagers and nine security personnel were injured when locals tried to prevent the security forces from clearing the opium plants, the Bara District Police Office said. The police said they destroyed opium plants cultivated in 28 bighas of land.

Police inspector Kamalesh Bhatta, APF inspector Puspa Kumar Shrestha, assistant sub-inspector Chandra Bahadur Timilsina, head constables Satyanath Sah and Umesh Prasad Yadav, constables Saroj Kumar Dhirendra Prasad Yadav, Laxmi Pandit and Katak Bahadur Bamjan were injured in the clash. The police had to open four rounds of blank fires to disperse the unruly mob.

The police claimed that the villagers had also opened fire. Critically injured locals — Harendra Kushabaha, Dev Narayan Sah and Surendra Sah of Bhagawanpur Paterwa VDC-8 — are undergoing treatment at Ghodasahan, a bordering town in Bihar. Rest of the injured villagers are getting treatment at a local health post in Simraunagarh.