The Netra Bikram Chand-led CPN Maoist torched 10 base stations of Ncell in several districts on Saturday.

Confirming the arson and vandalism, Ncell, however, did not name the perpetrators. “Ncell is saddened by the incidents wherein some unidentified groups set base stations on fire, damaging important elements of telecommunications infrastructure in Salyan, Dang, Kaski, Jhapa, Myagdi, Dhankuta, Morang, Baglung and Gorkha districts,” the company said in a statement.

About 250,000 customers in rural parts of several districts were affected after the incident.

Mahendra Bhattachan, the Ncell’s security director, said in the statement that the company was still assessing the damage caused by the arson. “Attack on critical infrastructure that are serving people with highly essential communications services is an unlawful and serious offence. Ncell would like to request all concerned to refrain from such activities,” the statement said. 

Our Lamjung correspondent said Ncell’s tower in Hiletaksar was torched at around 1pm. According to a local, a group of four unidentified persons broke the door’s lock and torched the generator and telecommunication equipment.

Sujan Adhikari, a student leader of the Maoist party, owned up the incident. He told journalists over telephone that his party had torched the telephone towers “as part of our nationwide campaign”. 

Deputy Superintendent of Police Samir Chandra Kharel said a police team was deployed to arrest suspects.

In Gorkha, three unidentified persons torched a tower of the mobile service provider at Asarang VDC. Security personnel who reached the site later recovered some leaflets of the CPN Maoist. Maoist district Secretary Krishna Wagle took responsibility for the attack. “Our party torched the tower as Ncell did not pay taxes to the government,” he added.

Our correspondent in Dang reported that two towers were torched at Lamahi and Laxmipur. Police Inspector Prem Khadka said the towers were damaged in the arson.

In Dhankuta, an unidentified group torched the Ncell tower at Belhara in Dhankuta-14. The security source claimed that the Chand-led Maoist was behind the incident.

Ncell appealed to the authorities concerned for their support to uphold the essential services law to prevent service disruption.