An unidentified group in the wee hours of Tuesday set fire to a Catholic church in Lalitpur in second such attack on the house of worship.

Two motorbikes and a four-wheeler parked in the garage of the Assumption Church in Dhobighat were destroyed in the incident. The garage is just below the room where Father Ignatius Rai lives.

Chirendra Satyal, spokesperson for the church, said, citing CCTV footage, one person could be seen sneaking out of the church premises after the fire. The western door of the church and the priest’s residence have been damaged in the arson attack which took place at around 3am, the church said in a statement. Expressing sadness over the incident, the church has said it believes there will be a fair investigation by the government. 

Police, who reached the incident site in the morning, have taken the CCTV footage. 

No casualties were reported in the incident that took place just two days after Easter.

Earlier the church, one of the biggest Roman Catholic churches in Nepal, had come under attack eight years ago. An improvised explosive device planted inside the church had exploded on May 23, 2009, claiming three lives. Several people were injured as Saturday prayers were about to begin when the explosion took place. Stating that Nepal is a multi-religious and multi-cultural country as per the constitution, the church has called on all to maintain peace and harmony.