Nepalese army moves to restore order after protest violence intensifies

Nepalese soldiers guarded the streets of the country’s capital on Wednesday and ordered people to stay at home as they moved to restore order after tens of thousands of protesters stormed and set fire to government buildings and attacked politicians.

KATHMANDU, Nepal — Nepalese soldiers guarded the streets of the country’s capital on Wednesday and ordered people to stay at home as they moved to restore order after tens of thousands of protesters stormed and set fire to government buildings and attacked politicians.

Armed troops guarding the main areas of Kathmandu appeared to give some sense of control returning to the city that was engulfed in violence and chaos in the previous days. Soldiers told residents about the curfew in place as they checked vehicles and people.

The army had warned late Tuesday that security forces were committed to preserving law and order. The military is rarely mobilized in Nepal and had initially stayed in the barracks as police failed to control the situation. An army statement said 27 suspected looters have been arrested.

The charred remains of government vehicles inside the premises of the Parliament building in Kathmandu on Wednesday.Anup Ojha / AFP via Getty ImagesEarlier on Tuesday, the protests had grown increasingly violent as demonstrators set fire to government buildings and politicians’ homes and attacked some leaders. As criticism of the country’s political elite widened, the prime minister resigned, though it appeared to have little effect on the unrest.

Tens of thousands of protesters remained on the streets, blocking roads and storming government facilities. Army helicopters ferried some ministers to safety.