Bhadra Sharma
30 July 2026•Update: 30 July 2026
At least three people have been killed during violent clashes in southern Nepal, where local Muslim and Hindu groups have clashed since Sunday, threatening public security, as the Himalayan nation continues to recover from last year’s mass protests.
The communal protests began on Sunday night, officials from violence-affected areas told Anadolu.
“I call upon political parties, civil society, and all brothers and sisters to maintain social unity, communal harmony, friendship, and tolerance,” President Ramchandra Paudel said in an appeal.
Curfew was imposed in most parts of southern Nepal after angry mobs began to attack each other and burn government offices, shopping malls, police posts, and vandalize them.
Clashes first erupted in the Sunsari district after a dispute during celebrations by two religious communities escalated into violence.
Hundreds of security forces, including those from the army, have been since deployed on the ground to contain the violence.
The police opened fire at the protesters to contain the clash, resulting in the death of a farmer, Om Prakash Mehata, while scores of locals were injured in the firing, including Jaya Prakash Mehata, who died at the hospital on Thursday.
Hindu groups staged protests in Sunsari and other districts following the death of Mehata in police firing, with curfews imposed in Sunsari, Sarlahi, Parsa, and Janakpur districts.
A third death was reported in Siraha after a person was shot on Thursday.
“One more death case was reported. We are informed that Ganesh Yadav, a local from Aaurahi, died today,” Chatraj Baral, an administrator in the district, told Anadolu.
Nepal, a predominantly Hindu country, was declared a secular state in 2008 following the abolition of the monarchy. Since then, the country has largely avoided major religious tensions.
However, the recent outbreak of violence has heightened public fears.
Nepal experienced one of its worst periods of unrest in September last year, when more than 70 people were killed after police opened fire on protesters led by young people demanding political change and an end to corruption.
