An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off at the CPN-UML mayoral candidate’s resident in Dharan on Monday.

Some unidentified persons detonated the explosive device on the premises of UML mayoral candidate Tara Subba’s house at Dharan-11.  According to Ranjit Rai, a witness, two unidentified persons in white shirts and half pants hurled the device on the compound at around 6:40am and fled to the east. Subba was in his room when the incident occurred. “Probably anti-election elements had set off the explosive device to threaten me,” said the UML candidate.

Nobody has owned up the blast so far. An investigation is underway, said police.

The second phase of local level elections is scheduled for June 28 in 35 districts of provinces 1, 5 and 7.

Explosive recovered

GULARIYA: An IED was found at a police post at Basgadi Bazaar in Bardiya on Monday. An unidentified group is believed to have planted the explosive on Monday afternoon when there were no security personnel around. Superintendent of Police Bharat Bahadur Bohora said an explosive-laden pressure cooker was found at the security post. The IED was later defused by a Nepal Army team, SP Bohora added.

IEDs were also found in two separate locations in Birtamod, Jhapa.

Four arrested

NAWALPARASI: Police on Monday arrested four activists of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal from different locations in Nawalparasi for their alleged role in anti-election activities. Police suspected that the detained persons might have been involved in an explosion during an election rally in Sunwal on Sunday that left seven people injured.