Authorities in southern Nepal declared an indefinite curfew in the strategically vital border city of Birgunj on Tuesday, following a surge in reciprocal protests between Hindu and Muslim communities sparked by the deliberate vandalism of a mosque in a neighboring town during the previous weekend.

The Parsa District Administration's curfew order explicitly bans all public gatherings, demonstrations, and unrestricted movement on streets, carrying stern warnings that security personnel have been granted authorization to use lethal force against any individuals found violating the restrictions in order to prevent further escalation.

Heavily armed police units and military soldiers have been extensively deployed throughout Birgunj, a bustling commercial center situated approximately 130 kilometers south of Kathmandu that functions as Nepal's principal trade corridor for importing essential commodities including petroleum products, manufactured goods, and daily supplies from India.

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The unrest began on Sunday when members of the Muslim community organized street protests to denounce the desecration of the mosque, which quickly prompted counter-demonstrations by Hindu groups later that day, with both sides continuing their mobilizations over subsequent days despite interventions by riot control forces.

Although no large-scale confrontations or significant injuries have been recorded thus far—limited only to minor scuffles between protesters and police—such communal tensions remain exceptionally uncommon in the predominantly Hindu country, particularly given that Nepal's Muslim minority is primarily concentrated in the southern Terai plains along the Indian border.

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