Kathmandu, January 31: Moving swiftly after a powerful blast at the election rally of the ruling parties that injured over three dozen people, Nepal's security forces Thursday arrested at least six former Maoists, including their self-styled chief of the district.
Nanda Kishore, Parsa district chief of the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha headed by former Maoist guerrilla Jwala Singh, was arrested from near the Indo-Nepal border along with at least five comrades, police said.

The group was said to be carrying explosives.

The crackdown started after a powerful explosion went off at the Narayani Stadium in Parsa's main town of Birgunj in the Terai plains Wednesday where the seven ruling parties were holding their last joint campaign for the April election.

At least 40 people were injured in the blast, including the chief district officer.

Four of them were airlifted to Kathmandu for treatment. Doctors at the Maharajgunj Teaching Hospital said the condition of one was serious.

Soon after the attack, an armed group from the plains, the Madhesi Mukti Tigers, claimed responsibility.

However, the Jwala Singh group, last year declared a terrorist outfit by the US government, had called a two-day shutdown in Parsa and its adjoining Bara and Rautahat districts from Tuesday along with other armed groups to foil the ruling parties' mass meet.
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