Suspected Maoists detonated a ‘cylinder bomb’ at Shantignagar, Kathmandu Sunday afternoon, injuring 13 persons including two security men.

Eyewitnesses said a cooking gas cylinder placed aside a bicycle at the Bagmati bridge near Shantinagar Gate was seen at around 3:30pm, which went off after 45 minutes. Thirteen passersby and two security men were injured in the blast.

Traffic remained blocked for nearly an hour following the incident.

The explosion comes hours before the return of Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba from New Delhi, wrapping up his five-day visit. nepalnews.com mbk Sept 12 04