Thai Police Hunt Bomb 'Network' as Shrine Reopens


Thai Police Hunt Bomb 'Network' as Shrine Reopens

TEHRAN (Tasnim) – A man suspected of planting a deadly bomb in Bangkok is part of a wider "network", Thailand's top policeman said Wednesday, as monks led prayers and reopened the shrine where 20 people were killed.

The blast struck on Monday evening as worshippers and tourists crowded into the Erawan shrine in the Thai capital's commercial heart, but with no claim of responsibility the motive and identity of the culprit remain a mystery.

The unprecedented attack left at least 11 foreigners dead, with visitors from Britain, China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Singapore, and a family from Malaysia among the victims.

Another 68 people remain in critical condition after a blast that shredded bodies and incinerated motorcycles at one of the city's busiest intersections, sending a shockwave through the country's pivotal tourist industry.

"It's a network," police chief General Somyot Poompanmoung told reporters without elaborating, a day after CCTV footage emerged showing a suspect leaving a backpack moments before the blast struck.

"We believe there must be people helping him, Thai people," he added, appearing to rule out the action of a lone wolf attacker.

Police had initially said a second explosion at a Bangkok pier on Tuesday that caused no injuries may also be linked, deepening fears for residents as police conceded they do not know who was responsible.

But on Wednesday Somyot said the second attack might also be a "copycat" and that police were keeping all options open.

Thai police have now offered a one million baht ($28,000) reward for information that leads to the arrest of the main suspect.

Widely circulated video of the suspect, apparently young and slightly built, and sporting glasses and shaggy dark hair, has prompted social media chatter that he could be a foreigner.

In a televised address Wednesday, Thai junta spokesman Colonel Winthai Suvaree said security has been tightened in tourist areas "especially where there are many Chinese tourists, to regain their trust and confidence".

The Erawan shrine -- a popular tourist attraction that typifies the kingdom's unusual blend of Hindu and Buddhist traditions -- and its surroundings have already been largely restored and the pools of congealed blood scrubbed away.

Twisted iron railings were the only immediate sign of the blast point, which police believe was caused by a bomb made up of three kilograms of high explosives.

Most Visited in World
Top World stories
Top Stories