Nationwide curfew enforced in Nepal as army cracks down on post-protest violence

Kathmandu, Sept 10: The Nepal Army, on Wednesday, imposed nationwide restrictive orders from morning till 5 pm, followed by a curfew until 6 am the next day, to curb any possible violence under the guise of protest.

In a statement, the Army warned that any form of demonstration, vandalism, arson, or attacks targeting individuals and property during this period would be treated as criminal activity and dealt with accordingly.

The Army said the measures were necessitated to curb possible incidents of looting, arson, and other destructive activities under the guise of agitation.

"There are also possible threats of rape and violent attacks against individuals. Keeping in view the security situation of the country, restrictive orders and a curfew have been enforced," the statement said.

Meanwhile, Army troops fanned out across Kathmandu and other cities from early Wednesday morning, enforcing restrictive orders and restoring calm, a day after violent anti-government protests swept across Nepal, triggering the resignation of K P Sharma Oli as Prime Minister.

The Nepal Army, which assumed command of nationwide security operations at 10 pm on Tuesday, imposed restrictions in several areas across the country, including Kathmandu, Lalitpur, and Bhaktapur cities, to contain the unrest that continued even hours after Oli stepped down.

In a statement, the army expressed concern over the actions of certain groups, which are "taking undue advantage of the difficult situation" and causing "severe damage to ordinary citizens and public property."

"We have deployed our troops to prevent any untoward incidents, including looting and vandalism," said an officer from the Nepal Army headquarters.

Authorities have also issued orders for residents to remain indoors unless "absolutely necessary", in a bid to prevent further unrest, he said.

Since early morning, the normally bustling streets of Kathmandu wore a deserted look. Only a few residents ventured out, primarily to stock up on daily essentials.

Roads were heavily patrolled by security personnel and fire trucks were seen responding to blazes in government and private buildings that were set on fire by agitators on Tuesday.

Earlier on Tuesday, protesters set fire to the Parliament, the President's Office, the PM's residence, government buildings, political parties' offices and homes of senior leaders.

Prime Minister Oli quit shortly after hundreds of agitators entered his office demanding his resignation for the death of at least 19 people in police action during Monday's protests by Gen Z over corruption and a government ban on social media. The ban on social media was lifted Monday night.

PTI