SITAMARHI: One Indian national was killed and three others were injured on Friday when Nepal’s security forces opened fire at a group of Indians at the India-Nepal border along Bihar’s Sitamarhi district.
The Director-General of the Sashastra Seema Bal—a Central police force guarding India’s border with Nepal— Rajesh Chandra said the incident happened in Nepal’s territory, and at least 15 rounds were fired.
“The incident happened deep inside Nepal (around 1.5 kilometers inside) and was a local issue triggered by an altercation. It is not something that was brewing for a long time,” Chandra said.
But the shooting comes amid rising tensions between India and Nepal over a plan by the Nepalese government to include disputed territories —Lipulekh, Limiyadhura and Kalapani—in the new political map.
Residents of the Janakinagar village in Sitamarhi’s Sonabarsa border area said the firing took place in the early hours of Friday when a group of Indians went to work at a field in Narayanpur, which is now a part of the Himalayan nation, if one goes by their new political map.
The firing reportedly happened amid an altercation between Indian workers and Nepali forces, who objected to their presence in the area.
The deceased has been identified as Vikesh Yadav, 25, son of Nageshwar Rai of Jankinagar.
Uday Thakur, 35, Umesh Ram, 40 and Shivdayal Rai, 45 are the three injured.
They are undergoing treatment at a private clinic in Sitamarhi, the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Sitamarhi district Anil Kumar said.
Following the incident, Indian and Nepalese security personnel held a consultation and the situation has returned to normalcy.
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