» 04/05/2011 11:32 NEPAL Nepal, risk of attacks leads to tight security in Catholic churches by Kalpit Parajuli The pastor of the Kathmandu Cathedral has barred entry with bags in all the churches throughout the country. In the Terai region unknown assailants blew up three public administration vehicles, leaving one person dead and over 50 wounded. Suspicions of Hindu extremist groups active in the area.
Kathmandu (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Catholics in Nepal fear more attacks by Hindu extremists, after a series of recent car bomb attacks against public officials in Terai (southern Nepal) that left one person dead and 50 wounded. On 3 April, Fr. Silas Bogati pastor of the Cathedral of the Assumption in Kathmandu asked all Catholics in the country not to bring bags inside churches. The priest is one of the witnesses of the attack at the Cathedral of Kathmandu, which occurred May 23, 2009 at the hands of Hindu extremists and killed three people.
" The recent blast of bombs at different public vehicles and other poses threat to us - he said - If you have to bring bags, let check your back by the church security personnel”. According to Fr Bogati all Catholic religious buildings are at risk and he has urged communities to enforce the new security measures.
So far the police have not yet managed to track down those responsible for three bombings in the region of Terai, where in recent years Hindu extremists linked to the Nepal Defence Army (NDA) have been active. The group is responsible for the attack on the Cathedral of the Assumption of Kathmandu, the attacks on the headquarters of the Central Party Congress on 11 August 2010 and the Birantnagar mosque on April 26, 2010. The group is also accused of the death of Fr John Prakash, rector of the Salesian school of Sirsya (Morang), killed by unknown assailants in July 2007.
_0405_-_Cattedrale_Kathmandu.JPG)
