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Four killed, eight injured in three explosions in Kathmandu



bomb blasts in Kathmandu, Biplav terror in Kathmandu

KATHMANDU, May 26: At least four people lost their lives and eight were injured in a series of bomb blasts that took place in different places in the capital on Sunday.

One IED went off at a house in Ghattekulo, Anamnagar and another explosion occurred inside a hair salon in Sukedhara in the evening. Blast at Ghattekulo occurred at around 4:30 pm in the afternoon when the cadres of Netra Bikram Chand ‘Biplav’-led cadres were preparing to move the bomb elsewhere from Prajwal Shahi’s place, according to the police.

Shahi died on the spot. A person injured in the Ghattekulo explosion has been identified as Rabin KC, 24, of Rukum district. KC, who is a student leader (Tri-Chandra Campus) of the All Nepal National Free Student Union-Revolutionary (ANNFSU-R) affiliated with the CPN, is receiving treatment at National Trauma Center, said the police.

Ten minutes later, a pressure cooker bomb exploded in Sukedhara, said the police. Of the three dead in the Sukedhara blast, one died on the spot, while two other breathed his last at Om Hospital, said the police spokesperson Bishwa Raj Pokharel.

Other three injured in the explosion at Sukedhara have been identified as Hari Khadka of Kapan, Kathmandu, Surendra Maharjan of Budhanilkantha, a member of Chand-affiliated Newa Rajya Committee and Chhotu Thakur of Mahottari are undergoing treatment at Om Hospital. The identity of the two of the injured is yet to be known.

According to the police, Chand’s outfit is found to have hand in the explosions. Some pamphlets related to Biplav group were recovered from the blast sites.

The identity of three, who died in Sukedhara explosion is yet to be ascertained.

The blast occurred a day ahead of Chand outfit called for a nationwide strike demanding a probe into of their cadre Tirtha Raj Ghimire. Ghimire, who sustained bullet injuries in police firing in Bhojpur, died last week while undergoing treatment in BP Koirala Institute of Health Science in Dharan. Police have said the explosives went off while the Biplav cadres were preparing the IEDs for detonation during their strike on Monday.

This is the second time the country has been terrorized by the multiple bomb blasts since February when a series of bomb blasts targeting Ncell towers including Nakhu that left one dead and two injured.

Following another blast in Basundhara in March, the government has outlawed Chand group activities saying the semi-underground outfit has lost political character.

bomb blasts in Kathmandu

An inured person in Sukedhara cooking gas cylinder blast being brought to Trauma Center. Photo: RSS

The walls of the building in the Ghattekulo blast have cracks from the blast, said the locals. A big bang occurred from the explosion, and the police recovered the mutilated body of the dead, said an eyewitness Shaurav Bhattarai talking about the explosion.

Separate teams from the Nepal Army and Nepal Police have been deployed to the explosion sites, said Senior Superintendent of Police Uttam Raj Subedi, chief of the Metropolitan Police Office, Kathmandu, adding that investigations are ongoing.

Another IED went off at Naghdhunga of Kathmandu injuring two persons while a bomb disposal team of Nepal Army defused another IED at Lagankhel bus park of Lalitpur, according to the police.

The bomb was planted near a brick kiln of Naghdunga when it exploded, according to the Metropolitan Police Circle, Thankot.

The identity of one of the injured has been ascertained as Buddha Lama, said Deputy Superintendent of Police at the Police Circle, Kumar Bikram Thapa.

Lama, who sustained injuries to his back, was rushed to Bir Hospital while another injured is undergoing treatment at Martyr’s Memorial Hospital.

Meanwhile, Police have arrested seven cadres of Chand group along with explosive materials from Narephant of Koteshwor. They are Tej Bahadur Moktan, Tejraj Kafle, Buddhi Bahadur Sunar, Buddhi Lal Pun, Dambar Bahadur Tamang, Chitta Kamal Oli and Rakesh Shrestha.

The police also seized four pressure cookers, a motorcycle, nine mobile phones and some pamphlets of the Biplav-led group.

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