Royal Nepalese Army (RNA) soldiers have shot and killed six innocent civilians and wounded two dozen others in Belbari area of the eastern district of Morang.

RNA solders sprayed bullets on the local residents who had gone to protest in front of the security base camp in Belbari this afternoon after army men allegedly raped and killed a 22-year-old local girl, Sapana Gurung, last night, reports quoting eyewitnesses said.

Six villagers died on the spot while at least 24 others received bullet injuries. The injured persons have been undergoing treatment at the BP Koirala Institute of Health Sciences and some of them are in critical condition.

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) in a statement this evening confirmed the death of six civilians but claimed that the security forces opened fire in self-defence as the crowd turned violent and tried to vandalise the security post. The statement also said there was “firing from inside the crowd”.

According to the statement, officials had convinced a protesting crowd of around 100 people, in the presence of human rights activists and civil society activists, of an inquiry into the death of Gurung in the morning but at around 2:00 in the afternoon a crowd started breaking the fences and tried to snatch the weapons of the sentries, “compelling the security men to open fire”.

The MoD said six persons were killed on the spot while 11 others were injured in the incident. nepalnews.com mk Apr 26 06