Nepal's 'most wanted' man arrested
Police have arrested one of Nepal's most wanted men, the alleged leader of a shadowy militant group blamed in deadly attacks on a church and a mosque, the government has said.
Ram Prasad Mainali, who authorities believe is the leader of the underground Nepal Defence Army, was arrested in the south-eastern town of Biratnagar after months of investigation, Home Ministry spokesman Ramratna Pandey said.
Mr Pandey said Mainali is being brought to the capital, Kathmandu, for questioning and that he has not been charged with any crime. Police seized guns and ammunition during the arrest, he said.
Little is known about the Nepal Defence Army or its objectives.
The militant group claimed responsibility for the May bombing of a Catholic church in Kathmandu that killed three people and an attack on a mosque in southern Nepal last year that also left three dead.
The group also said it carried out a bombing at the headquarters of the Nepali Congress party in Kathmandu in August - an attack that caused minor damage to the building, but hurt no-one. Congress is one of Nepal's main political parties.
Mainali is one of Nepal's most wanted criminals and his arrest could help solve many cases, Nepal police spokesman Binod Singh said.