Darchula, June 17 -- Indian authorities unilaterally closed the Nepal-India border bridge for about two hours in Darchula on Monday without giving prior notice to the Nepali side. The Indian side closed the footbridge at 11:06 am on Monday, cutting off the key cross-border access at Darchula district headquarters.

According to Chief District Officer (CDO) Anil Paudel, the Indian side had earlier assured during informal administrative discussions that the bridge would not be closed. However, Paudel said that Indian security forces closed the bridge under pressure from their local population. "There was no official written communication from the Indian administration before the closure," he added.

The closure is linked to a recent murder ...