Police recovers 3 IED devices, arrests 2 Maoist cadres during Nepal bandh

Three improvised explosive devices (IEDs) were recovered and two Maoist cadre were arrested from various parts of Nepal during the nation-wide general strike called by the Nepal Communist Party (Maoist) today, police said.

The Nepal Communist Party (Maoist), led by Netra Bikram Chand 'Biplav', had given the strike call for today in protest against the arrest of a senior leader and party spokesperson Khagda Bahadur Bishwokarma 'Prakanda' by the police on the charges of extortion last week.

The IEDs were found at Naikap Balkhu bridge of Chandragiri Municipality, Nayapati of Gokarneshwor Municipality and Jamal of Kathmandu Metropolitan City, the police said.

The Nepal Army's special bomb disposal unit has defused IEDs planted at Naikap Balkhu bridge and Nayapati.

Police arrested two cadres of the Maoist party, Usha Kiran and Tara Sanjel, from Jamal area of Kathmandu and recovered a bomb from them, they added.

Early in the morning, security forces defused two bombs which were found from different places in Bhaktapur district, situated in the east of Kathmandu.

Security was intensified in and around Kathmandu in view of the shut down. However, there was no visible effect of the strike in Kathmandu valley, as markets remained open and public transport service was functional, the officials said, adding though schools and colleges were closed.

The police had yesterday arrested another party member for allegedly issuing threats to keep the schools in Dolakha district closed during the strike, according to a media report today.

According to the police, Shyam Pakrin was arrested for threatening various schools in district headquarters Charikot over telephone, the Kathmandu Post reported.

Meanwhile, a group of unidentified persons set on fire two trucks parked near a petrol pump along the East West Highway at Gaidakot in Nawalparasi early this morning, it said.

Another unknown gang also vandalised a Kathmandu-bound bus at Tustung Deurali in Hetauda, the report said.