Nepal’s security chiefs have flagged escaped inmates and stolen weapons as major threats ahead of the March 5 parliamentary elections.

At a security review and election preparedness meeting at Nepali Army headquarters on Sunday, the chiefs said the September 9 incidents of thousands of inmates fleeing several prisons and arms theft had posed a serious challenge to the election security. They emphasised the need for both independent and joint operations to recover stolen weapons, recapture escaped inmates, and curb groups threatening public order.

Chief of Army Staff Ashok Raj Sigdel convened the meeting, attended by Inspector General of Nepal Police Chandra Kuber Khapung, Inspector General Raju Aryal of Armed Police Force, and National Investigation Department Chief Tekendra Karki. The discussion centred on the current security situation and election preparation strategies.

An official at the meeting said the chiefs of Nepal Police, Armed Police Force, and the National Investigation Department briefed on ongoing operations and challenges, noting the fugitive inmates and stolen weapons as the top security concern.

In recent weeks, the army, police, and armed police have launched joint patrols nationwide to stabilise security. “The situation has been tense since the September unrest, which also hit security personnel morale,” a senior army officer said. “The patrols aim to restore normalcy, boost inter-agency coordination, and ease public fear over escaped inmates and stolen weapons. The feedback has been positive, and Sunday’s meeting focused on sustaining these efforts collectively.”

The agencies have agreed to establish election security command posts and coordinate deployments, with a follow-up review planned for the next meeting. The government, Election Commission, and security forces are gearing up for the March 5 polls.

Ensuring a free, fair, and secure election remains a major challenge. More than 1,200 police firearms were looted during the September unrest, with over 500 still unaccounted for. About 100,000 rounds of ammunition are also missing from police records.

Of 14,043 inmates who fled 28 prisons and juvenile centres, over 5,000 remain at large.

More than 400 police stations and offices were destroyed by fire or vandalism, with the majority still functioning from temporary or damaged sites. The Armed Police Force reported damage to 62 of its facilities. Police headquarters estimates losses of personnel property alone at over Rs 220 million.

The army has faced criticism for failing to safeguard key public and political sites, including Parliament, the Supreme Court, the President’s Office, the Prime Minister’s residence, Singha Durbar, the Commission for the Investigation of Abuse of Authority, and several party offices and private buildings set on fire during the unrest.

Against this backdrop, security chiefs reviewed the overall situation and explored measures to strengthen national security and restore public confidence ahead of the March elections, a senior police officer said.