Blast rocks Bhutan, 4 foresters killed

Four Bhutanese foresters were killed and two injured when an IED blew up their tractor in Sarpang district and were later fired upon by suspected Maoists.

Four Bhutanese foresters were killed and two injured when an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) blew up their tractor in Sarpang district and were later fired upon by suspected Maoists, a police spokesman said.

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The six forest personnel were going from Sarpang to their camp in Phibsoo when the IED exploded at about 3 p.M. (local time) on Tuesday, the spokesman said.

The attackers then fired at them killing four on the spot and burnt their bodies using tractor tyres.

Of the two injured, one forester with two bullet wounds escaped and informed the police while the other hid in the jungle until he was rescued by a search team.

The militants also took away two SLR rifles, 40 bullets and a mobile handset of the forest personnel.

Militants of Nepal based Communist Party of Bhutan are believed to be behind the blast, the spokesman said.