An Improvised Explosive Device (IED) went off near UN Park in Kupondole of Lalitpur on Friday. No human casualty has been reported, police said.

The incident occurred at around 6:20 pm today.

The explosion was heard in various parts of the Kathmandu Valley.

According to DSP Apil Raj Bohara of the Metropolitan Police Circle, Singhadurbar, an unidentified group detonated the bomb to terrorise the people in the run up to the second phase of parliamentary and provincial elections slated for December 6.

Police said that the bomb was detonated in the pile of garbage collecting site located in between UN Park and Thapathali Bridge.

A police team has already reached the site and investigating the incident.

Following the explosion, locals were left panic stricken.

Earlier on Tuesday, a bomb went off when the left alliance of CPN-UML and CPN (Maoist Centre) were holding an election campaign in Lagankhel of Lalitpur. The bomb went off when UML Chairman KP Sharma Oli was addressing the assembly. 

On the same evening, the IED went off in Balkot of Suryabinayak Municipality-3 in Bhaktapur. The bomb exploded in a town planning near Rose Village at around 7:30 pm. No human casualty was reported since the blast occurred in an empty area.

CPN-UML Chairman KP Oli, federal parliamentary candidate from NC Daman Nath Dhungana and provincial assembly ‘B’ candidate from left alliance Rajendra Shrestha live in Balkot.

This is the third explosion that took place in the Kathmandu Valley ahead of the elections.

Amid rising incidents of blast targeting election candidates in different parts of the country, the Election Commission (EC) on Thursday had directed the law enforcement agencies to step up measures to ensure effective security.

A temporary cop in Tulsipur of Dang on Wednesday became the first casualty of poll-related violence. Binod Chaudhary, 23, who was critically injured in the IED blast targeted at an election rally that was to be addressed by Prime Minister and Nepali Congress (NC) President Sher Bahadur Deuba in Tulsipur on Tuesday, breathed his last during the course of treatment.