Unidentified groups set on fire communication towers of Ncell, a private sector telecom company, at different parts of the country on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.

The incidents caused disruption of mobile phone service in most of the areas, affecting thousands of Ncell users.

In Dhading, an Ncell tower in Jurethum, Thakre was torched on Wednesday morning.

According to the District Police Office, radio set, generator, and other equipment were destroyed in the arson. Superintendent of Police Rabindra Regmi said a team of five police personnel from the Area Police Office in Khanikhola had been sent to the incident site for investigation.

“Some leaflets, stating that Ncell has swindled Nepali people and evaded billions of tax, were also found in the incident site,” he said.

In Chitwan, an improvised explosive device exploded at a Ncell tower in Shaktikhor on Tuesday.

In Rautahat, an unidentified group torched a Ncell tower at Gajura Municipality Ward No. 8 on Tuesday night, police said. No group has taken responsibility for the arson yet. Deputy Superintendent of Police Kabit Katwal said that they were investigating into the incident. The Ncell mobile service has been disrupted after the incident.

A few days ago, an unidentified group had also tried to torch an Ncell tower in Baijanathpur.

In Bara, an Ncell tower near the Armed Police Force office in Piluwa, Jitpur Simara Sub-metropolitan City was torched on Tuesday night.

Around 80 percent of the tower was damaged in the fire, Haridev Kharel, a local, said. “We had seen fire in the tower at 10:15pm.”

Superintendent of Police Bikashraj Khanal said they were searching for the arsonists and had launched an investigation into the incident.

(With inputs from our local correspondents.)