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![]() Calm Returns to Nepal Capital After Riots
By BINAJ GURUBACHARYA, Associated Press Writer KATMANDU, Nepal - Hundreds of soldiers and police patrolled Nepal's capital Thursday, a day after riots over the slaying of 12 Nepalese hostages in Iraq (news - web sites) left two protesters dead and dozens injured.
People lined up outside stores after a shoot-on-site curfew was briefly lifted so they could stock up on food, water and other supplies. Others surveyed damage caused by the violent street rallies: charred buildings, streets littered with broken glass, burned tires, and toppled road signs.
The government declared Thursday a day of mourning. Offices and schools were closed. Flags were flying at half staff. And radio and television stations were airing mostly patriotic and religious songs.
In a message to the nation, Nepal's King Gyanendra called for unity among the people.
Do not let the tragic killing of 12 citizens in Iraq "weaken the age-old fraternal ties, unity and mutual tolerance that exist amongst the Nepalese people," he said.
No violence was reported overnight or early Thursday, with armored cars and army trucks stationed at major sections of the city.
A gruesome video posted on a Web site Tuesday showed militants slitting the neck of one Nepalese worker and shooting 11 others. The 12 had disappeared soon after entering Iraq from Jordan on Aug. 19.
Prime Minister Sher Bahadur Deuba said the government was trying to locate their bodies so it could arrange for them to be shipped home, as the international community expressed outrage and sorrow at the killings.
U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan (news - web sites) said he was appalled by the murders and called for the immediate release of all the hostages in Iraq. India, Japan, Bangladesh and the Philippines also offered condolences.
On Wednesday, thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in major cities across Nepal, some saddened by the slayings and others claiming that the government did not do enough to secure the hostages' release.
A mob threw rocks at buildings, including recruitment agencies and Arab airlines offices in Katmandu, blocked traffic by burning tires at main intersections and ransacked the capital's only mosque.
The Home Ministry said Thursday one demonstrator died in clashes near the mosque and that another was shot by police guarding the Egyptian embassy after an angry crowd charged the building with bricks.
Dozens of people were wounded in the clashes, including 33 police, the ministry said.
An uneasy calm returned to the capital on Thursday. A curfew imposed after rioting broke out with a warning that violators would be shot on site was lifted for 3 1/2 hours. It was reimposed at 9:30 a.m.
Iraqi militants have taken more than 100 foreigners hostage in recent months.
Nepal, which has no troops in Iraq, has long banned its citizens from working there because of security concerns. However, many people from the poor Himalayan nation take jobs abroad and 17,000 Nepalese are believed to have slipped into Iraq many working as armed security guards for foreign contractors.
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