At least 70 persons were injured in separate clashes that took place in two cities of south Nepal's Terai region on Saturday, local newspaper The Himalayan Times reported on Sunday.

Some 35 persons each, including policemen, were injured in clashes in Birgunj and Kalaiya, the district headquarters of Parsa and Bara respectively.

In Birgunj, over 35 persons were injured in clashes. The eight political parties, including the Seven-party Alliance and the Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist) (CPN-M), organized a "goodwill rally" in Birgunj of Parsa district, some 95 km south of capital Kathmandu on Saturday morning. The Young Communist League (YCL) affiliated to the CPN-M led the eight-party rally.

The clash ensued after activists of MPRF (also called Madhesi Janadhikar Forum) attacked the eight-party rally with batons. Some policemen were injured while trying to control the violence between the two sides.

In Kalaiya, Bara district, some 90 km south of capital Kathmandu, at least 35 persons were injured in a clash between MPRF activists and activists of the eight parties on Saturday. The clash happened following a dispute that occurred while the eight parties were organizing a gathering in Kalaiya.

Six critically injured in Kalaiya were taken to Birgunj for treatment. The mob vandalized some eight parties' local office and houses of the local party leaders.

Source: Xinhua