Nepal unrest: Day after armed protests, army recovers 31 weapons

Nepal's protest crisis has taken a perilous turn, evolving from stone-throwing and arson into an armed confrontation after mobs stormed security posts and looted state-issued firearms. On Tuesday, the violence reached its peak as demonstrators were photographed carrying rifles through the capital. By Wednesday afternoon, authorities insisted calm had been restored under curfew, announcing that 31 weapons had been recovered - 23 in Kathmandu and eight in Pokhara.

The cache included Insas and AK-pattern assault rifles, M-16 carbines, pump-action shotguns and tear-gas launchers, many with magazines and live rounds. "The army urges protesters to hand over seized firearms, bullets and other security equipment without delay," said a spokesperson for Directorate of Public Relations and Information , adding that possession of such weapons would invite prosecution but promising leniency for voluntary returns. General Ashok Raj Sigdel, Chief of Army Staff, appealed directly for restraint. "We appeal to those holding weapons to come forward for dialogue. We need to normalise this difficult situation."

The urgency stemmed from scenes of Tuesday: young men wielding assault rifles in Kathmandu's streets, one masked protester gripping an Insas-pattern gun with his finger on the trigger, another raising a weapon skyward and firing as smoke drifted over Singha Durbar. The images, circulated on social media, shocked a country long used to protests but not to civilians openly carrying military-grade firearms . "When I saw youths carrying rifles, I realised this was no longer just a protest," said a shopkeeper near the palace complex. "It felt like war could break out any moment."

By Wednesday, streets were subdued under curfew and heavy presence of soldiers. Residents, though, remained wary. "We saw boys running with rifles in their hands," said a university student. "The army says they have most of them back, but people here don't believe all the guns are returned." Even among protesters, there was unease. "The frustration was real, but guns in the street have changed everything," said Prakash, a demonstrator. "We're scared of where this will go."