The curfew, which had been imposed since Monday morning in the wake of a Hindu-Muslim clash in Lalpur area of Gulariya Municipality, was lifted on Tuesday morning.

However, a large number of security personnel have been deployed in the Lalpur area. Security personnel from the Nepal Police and the Armed Police Force are on high alert in the area in a bid to foil any potential clashes.

The tension between the two groups flared on Sunday when the Hindus were due to immerse the idol of goddess Durga and the local Muslims were observing Tazia, a religious procession.

As many as seven locals and two police personnel were injured in the clash. A shop and a house were torched in the incident. Police resorted to baton charge, lobbed teargas canisters and fired eight rounds of warning shots to bring the situation under control. According to Chief District Officer Narayan Prasad Bhattarai, the curfew was lifted after the situation gradually turned normal.