10 civilians and two policemen were injured by Maoist bombs in Mahottari and Bara districts on Friday.

Six civilians were injured in Bankekhola area along the Mahendra Highway when the rebels set off an explosion to enforce their two-day bandh in Mahottari and Sarlahi districts, according to reports.

The injured were passengers headed for various destinations who were forced to walk because of the bandh. Hem Bahadur Ghimire, Januka Poudel and Saraswoti Khanal of Sarlahi, Mithila Bahadur Raut of Barathawa and Gopendra Bahadur Chhettri of Dharan were injured, reports quoted security sources as saying.

Of the injured, Ghimire is undergoing treatment at the District Hospital in Birgunj, while Raut was rushed to Janakpur. The rest were discharged after preliminary treatment.

Maoists have planted bombs in at least 25 places along the 30 km stretch of the highway from Bardibas to Phuljor area.

Maoists called the bandh saying security personnel had killed three of their cadres after taking them into detention in the two districts.

Meanwhile, in Bara, six people, four civilians and two policemen were injured when Maoists detonated a socket bomb at Kalaiya Municipalilty oin Friday.

Maoists detonated the bomb targeting a police van that was patrolling the area.

Head Constable Man Bahadur Ale, policeman Chakra Bahadur Khadka, and pedestrians Bharat Mahat, Mohd Jawahar Alam, Basanti Chau-dhary and Bishwabandhu Jha, all from Kalaiya were injured in the incident.