DHANGADHI, Oct 18 – Five people seriously injured in the encounter between the Maoist insurgents and the local people in Pandusen VDC of Bajura district were flown to Nepalgunj for treatment on Wednesday morning.

According to the Chief District Officer, five people seriously injured were taken to Kathmandu on Wednesday. Nine others injured in the incident were taken to Nepalgunj on Tuesday.

One man lost his life when the Maoist insurgents clashed with local people in Pandusen VDC of the remote district of Bajura in Seti zone on Sunday night and Tuesday morning. Pandusen VDC-7 lies at about 20 miles east of the district headquarters. A total of 19 local people were injured in the incident.

Giving details of the incident the Chief District Officer of Bajura Krishna Prasad Poudel said a group of about 25 to 30 armed Maoist insurgents attacked the thick settlement of Pandusen VDC-7, which is surrounded by forest on all sides, at about 11 p.m. on Monday with guns, khukuris and batons. They were resisted by the local people with batons and stones.

The encounter lasted for about three hours. Man Singh Thapa, 39, a local resident of ward No 7 died on the spot. The insurgents then fled but returned at about 4 a.m. on Tuesday and attacked ward Nos 7 and 8 from all sides by about 25 members in each ward. The villagers also counter-attacked the Maoist insurgents again and the Maoists were unable to loot their village, CDO Poudel said quoting eye-witnesses.

Although the police force was stationed in Pandusen VDC, the police force could not reach the clash site because it was far from the district headquarters.

The striking force is patrolling Pandusen VDC and other sensitive villages. The army has also been mobilized in the headquarters of Bajura district which falls in the list of Maoist-affected district.

Local people of Pandusen VDC had constituted a resistance committee to fight against the Maoist insurgents as the attacks from them continued to increase. In their counter-attack three months ago they had driven out the Maoists and had captured two armed guerillas. Five Maoist leaders have so far surrendered in this district. CDO Poudel has said the administration and the police are alert about the possible attack from the rebels.