A Nepal Army patrol squad on Sunday found an M16A1 rifle and 43 rounds of bullets hidden in a suspicious manner in Kathara VDC-3 of Kanteshwori Community Forest, which falls within the Nepal Army protected Chitwan National Park. The security squad deployed from Chapparchuli Post of Shree Jung Battalion of Nepal Army had found an M16A1 camouflaged bag, a silencer, a gun-magazine and 43 bullets of 5.56 mm, according to SP Sahakul Thapa of District Police Chitwan. “We are investigating different dimensions of the find. We are trying to see whether the weapon belonged to poachers,” he said.

Meanwhile, Nepal Army on Monday clarified that the illegal arm was not theirs. Issuing a press statement, NA’s Directorate of Public Relations (DPR) said that the weapon was not listed in the archive of its arms and ammunitions. “Nepal Army so far has not used M16A1 rifle but uses M16A2 rifles,” the statement reads. The police and National Park are jointly investigating the presence of a suspicious weapon.  

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