RABIN KC VAN-DALISED: The Himalmedia van that was vandalised by attackers on 24 October. CEO Ashutosh Tiwari and the driver Rajiv Baniya were miraculously unhurt.

Eight masked men attacked the distributor of Himalmedia at Maitighar on Sunday night, setting fire to issues of the Nepali magazine, Himal Khabarpatrika.

The attackers poured kerosene on bundles containing copies of the Mangsir 1 edition of the fortnightly which was to be distributed to subscribers on Monday morning.

However, Himalmedia made arrangements to get the magazine to most subscribers on time.

"This was a planned and premeditated attack on Himal Khabarpatrika and also an assault on press freedom," said Kiran Nepal, executive editor of the magazine, a sister publication of Nepali Times. Nepal added: "If any group or party is behind this attack we regret it, and we will investigate it."

The attackers also disconnected the office phones, stole four mobile phones and threatened to kill the distribution personnel. Besides the eight attackers, there were two dozen more in an outer ring in the office at Maitighar.

Himalmedia said Saturday's attack was the second on the company. The car in which Himalmedia CEO, Ashutosh Tiwari, was attacked two weeks ago by men on motorcycles who smashed the vehicle with rocks.