Friday, February 24 2006 11:19 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Kathmandu: Four security personnel were injured in landmine explosions triggered by Maoists in eastern Nepal even as two local rebel leaders were arrested from a hospital in the capital Kathmandu.

Five landmines planted by Maoists exploded simultaneously in Dolakha district, 65 km east of Kathmandu, yesterday injuring four security personnel, two of them seriously who were brought to Kathmandu for treatment, security sources said.

Also, a businessman was injured when Maoists opened fire on him in Parsa district in southern Nepal, police said.

Laxmipati Jain, General Manager of Ganga Udyog, was undergoing treatment at Birgunj Hospital after he was shot by the rebels yesterday, they said.

Meanwhile, two district-level Maoist leaders were arrested from a hospital in Kathmandu yesterday, police said.

The two identified as Dinesh Bhandari and Srawan Rishidev were arrested when they came for treatment at the hospital. One of the rebels had a fracture in his leg while the other had a bullet injury.

In another development, Maoists freed three policemen they had abducted two weeks ago during a raid in Dhankuta Municipality in eastern Nepal.

The rebels had earlier released 12 security men they had kidnapped from the same area. However, Deputy Regional Administrator, who was taken away by the rebels, had died in Maoist captivity under mysterious circumstances.