At least eight persons, including a Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), two inspectors of the Nepal Police, and a two-year-old toddler were killed and 42 other policemen were injured in the clash with agitating Tharuhat activists in Shankarpur area of Tikapur Municipality on Monday. The clash had ensued after police prevented the protestors from breaching the prohibited zone. Irate protestors had brutally killed police personnel with weapons such as spears, sickles, axes and slingshots. Those killed by the irate protestors include Senior Superintendent of Police Laxman Neupane, Inspector duo Balram Bista and Keshab Bohara, constables Lokendra Chand and Laxman Khadka. Likewise, Armed Police Force (APF) Head Constable Lalit Saud, and constable Ram Bihari Chaudhary were also killed in the clash. A two-year old son of APF Assistant Head Constable Netra Bahadur Saud was also killed by the protestors. According to Chief District Officer Ram Kumar Shrestha, the protestors also burnt a policeman they had held captive during the clash. Although protestors have claimed that at least three people on their side were killed, the claim has yet to be verified. Curfew has been enforced in Tikapur area following the clash and Nepal Army (NA) personnel have been deployed to prevent any untoward incident in the area. "We took the decision to mobilize army personnel following a decision by the Security Committee," said Chief District Officer Shrestha. Tikapur area was declared prohibited zone following violent protests by Tharuhat activists for the past several days. Around 20,000 Tharuhat activists had arrived in Tikapur from various parts of the district to put up signboards of Autonomous Tharuhat in government offices and organize a protest rally. A police team led by SSP Laxman Neupane had stopped a rally of thousands of Tharuhat activists at Pashuhaat area of Tikapur Ward Number-6 as they tried to breach the prohibited zone. The agitating protestors had indiscriminately attacked police personnel on duty with domestic weapons such as axes, sickles, slingshots and spears, according to Chief of Far Western Regional Police Office DIG Ram Kumar Khanal. Khanal said protestors had attacked police with domestic weapons before the police could actually open fire. "The protestors attacked police with domestic weapons as they tried to stop them from breaching the prohibited zones," he said. CDO Shrestha said there were 4,000 protestors at the site where the clash took place. "We had to face a huge loss as we had not even imagined that protestors would attack police with such weapons. Policemen have been killed brutally," he said. Most of those slain policemen were killed using spears, while others were burnt alive by the protestors. Altogether 21 APF personnel and 21 Nepal Police personnel were injured in the clash. All those injured are undergoing treatment at Tikapur Hospital. Of them, two Nepal Police personnel and three APF personnel are in critical condition. Leaders of Tharuhat movement have claimed that they retaliated after police used force. They also said that there was infiltration of some unwanted elements in the protests. Secretary of Tharuhat /Tharuwan Joint Struggle Committee Madhav Chaudhary said the protestors had used domestic weapons for self-defense when police stopped them from heading for Tikapur Municipality Office. "We did not have any plan to attack the police. Those who came in the protests were in favor of Tharuhat," he said. "We cannot say that the attack was planned or there was infiltration in the protest." He also argued that the protestors used domestic weapons as this incident took place near villages. "At least three people were killed on our side as well. Their names have yet to be verified," he said. Chairman of Tharuhat Tarai Party Nepal, Bhanuram Chaudhary, said the infiltration of some unwanted elements had caused the deaths in their peaceful protests. "There has been infiltration of unwanted elements to cause this incident. We had a plan to hold protest rally in Tikapur. The state is responsible for this incident," he said. Since last 13 days, Tharuwan/Tharuhat United Struggle Committee has been hitting the streets in the west tarai region demanding autonomous Tharuhat province including Kanchanpur and Kailai districts in the new federal structure. 2-year-old among those killed in Tikapur incident Protestors in Tikapur of Kailali district on Monday also shot dead a two year- old son of a policeman. The boy was shot inside his home, while the protestors were trying to shoot his father. Doctors at the Kailali District Hospital said the boy was shot in his head. "The boy had died before he was brought to the hospital," said Dr Narendra Kumar Khanal, superintendent at the district hospital. He informed that eight bodies, including that of the two-year-old was brought to the hospital. He informed that around 60 injured have been brought to the hospital. Of them only three are civilians, while the rest are security personnel. The doctors said seven of the injured policemen are in critical condition and need to be immediately rushed to the capital for treatment. Dr Khanal informed that two helicopters have flown from Nepalgunj to Kailali to airlift all injured policemen. He said all policemen have received deep injuries. "Those who have received head injuries are in critical condition," he informed. Bashu Dev Bajgain, a public health inspector at the District Public Health Office (DPHO), Kailali informed that there are just two doctors serving in the hospital. All health workers in the district have been sent to Tikapur to treat the injured.