Fifteen policemen missing in a Maoist attack on a Lahan district police headquarters in Siraha since Wednesday night are safe, police said Thursday. Rebels killed three policemen after capturing them, local reports said.
Security forces Thursday recovered some of the Rs.30 million in cash and jewelry robbed by rebels from two banks in the town, local officials said. Security forced also captured three buses used by nearly 1,000 rebels to attack the town 150 kms southeast of the capital, locals reported.
Security forces also recovered arms and ammunition from the fleeing rebels. Maoists came in hordes in buses, a truck, bicycles and rickshaws to attack the town which was closed down the whole day Thursday.
But vehicular traffic on the Mahendra Highway on which the town lies resumed at 10 AM. Reports from the town said the rebels fled at 2 PM after army and police reinforcements arrived clearing road blocks almost three hours after the attack.
The rebels attacked Lahan just a few days after Shyam Bhakta Thapa took over as Acting IGP from Pradip Shumshere Rana who went on compulsory leave this week prior to retirement. Thapa and Armed Police IGP Krishna Mohan Shrestha paid flying visits to the town and reviewed the security situation there.