Maoist insurgents have seized nine oil tankers belonging to the Nepal Oil Corporation (NOC) in Banke district.

The tankers were seized by armed Maoists in Agaiya area at around 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, reports quoting officials at the NOC’s regional office in Nepalgunj said. The tankers, en route to Dang, were carrying 100,000 litres of oil.

The condition of the drivers of the tankers remains unknown as security forces are yet to reach Agaiya which is a jungle area, reports added.

In a similar incident, the rebels torched a diesel tanker on the Helambu Highway at Kuntabesi, Kavre district, on Friday evening.

They seized the Na.1.Kha 8622 tanker carrying 12,000 litres of diesel for the Melamchi Drinking Water Project at around 5:00 p.m. and set it ablaze, reports said.