KATHMANDU: More than 13,500 prisoners have escaped from jails across Nepal during violent anti-government protests this week, police confirmed on Wednesday.

“Three policemen died yesterday and more than 13,500 prisoners have escaped from jails across the country,” Nepal Police spokesman Binod Ghimire told AFP.

The unrest, described as the worst in two decades, has already ousted the prime minister and left parliament in flames. On Wednesday, the Nepali army reasserted control of the capital, enforcing a curfew and opening talks with protest leaders.

Soldiers patrolled Kathmandu’s streets in armoured carriers, passing charred vehicles and buildings, while loudspeakers called on citizens to remain calm.

Nepal Army chief General Ashok Raj Sigdel held consultations with political stakeholders and also met representatives of the “Gen Z” movement — a loose network of young protesters who spearheaded the demonstrations.

Shushila Karki, 73, former Supreme Court chief justice and a potential interim leader, stressed the need for dialogue. “Experts need to come together to figure out the way forward. The parliament still stands,” she told AFP.

The protests began Monday over a government ban on social media and deep-rooted corruption but quickly escalated nationwide, leaving at least 19 dead in a brutal crackdown. Government buildings were torched, including parliament, where protesters scrawled a defiant message on its scorched walls: “Wrong fight — Gen Z.”

Authorities confirmed that Kathmandu airport had reopened on Wednesday, though the military warned against “activities that could lead the country into unrest and instability.”