Nepali soldiers began patrolling the streets of Kathmandu on Wednesday, September 9th, seeking to restore order after protesters set parliament ablaze and forced the prime minister to quit in the worst violence to hit the Himalayan nation in two decades.
Smouldering plumes of smoke rose from the government buildings, residences of politicians, supermarkets and other buildings targeted by protesters, an AFP reporter said on Wednesday.
The rapid descent into chaos shocked many, and Nepal’s military warned against “activities that could lead the country into unrest and instability” in the country of 30 million people. Soldiers issued orders via loudspeakers on the streets covered with burnt vehicles and tyres. The army warned that “vandalism, looting, arson, or attacks on individuals and property in the name of protest will be treated as punishable crimes.”
Gangs on Tuesday had attacked and set fire to the house of KP Sharma Oli, the 73-year-old, four-time prime minister and leader of the Communist Party. He later quit to allow “steps towards a political solution”. His whereabouts are not known.
Kathmandu’s airport was expected to resume operations on Wednesday at 6:00 p.m.
Gangs on Tuesday had attacked and set fire to the house of KP Sharma Oli, the 73-year-old, four-time prime minister and leader of the Communist Party. He later quit to allow “steps towards a political solution.” His whereabouts are not known.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has urged “restraint to avoid a further escalation of violence,” his spokesman Stephane Dujarric said in a statement.
