A group of unidentified people torched six houses in different villages of ward 4 of Guthichaur Rural Municipality of Jumla district on Friday night.

Ward chair Tika Dutta Neupane said the houses in Dhawalpur, Bauli, Dandabada, Dalitbada and Bigare villages in the ward were set ablaze.

He said there are reports of arson in Dhita and Depal villages as well, adding a parked tractor was also set on fire.

The house belonging to Kavi Dutta Neupane of Dandabada suffered the most damage.

“The gang locked the houses and set them on fire by sprinkling petrol,” said Neupane.

Deputy Superintendent of Police Prahlad Karki said a police team was dispatched from the district headquarters after the incident.

“Security personnel were deployed after reports of arson in different villages,” he said. “The details of the loss incurred are yet to be known.”

Dan Bahadur Budha, chair of the rural municipality, said the incident has added to the security challenges.

“We have started taking initiatives to strengthen security mechanisms to reduce such incidents from happening in the future,” he said.