| Submit your comments on this article |
| Southeast Asia |
| Thai police name suspect in last week's bombings |
| 2016-08-20 |
| [Reuters] Police have identified a Thai man as a suspect in their investigation into attacks that killed four people and injured dozens in a series of bomb attacks in southern Thailand a week ago. Deputy national police spokesman Kissana Phatanacharoen identified the suspect as Ahama Lengha from Narathiwat province near the nation's border with Malaysia. A Thai military court issued an arrest warrant on Tuesday for a then unidentified suspect for attempting to bomb a beach in the tourist island of Phuket. Kissana said Ahama has not yet been taken into custody and it is not known if he was still in the country. He said, "We have only issued one arrest warrant in relation to the bomb attacks, and that is for Ahama. It's because it is clear that he is linked to what happened." No group has yet claimed responsibility for the bombings, which came days after Thais voted to accept a military-backed constitution. Police and the Thai government ruled out any link to foreign militants within hours of the attacks and insisted the perpetrators were home-grown. National police chief Jakthip Chaijinda said the attacks might be linked to the referendum but has not given further details. 0fficial suspicion has fallen on domestic political groups including supporters of ousted former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, who was forced from office in 2006. While Thaksin's supporters have not been blamed outright, police said last week the attacks were carried out simultaneously by one group on the orders of one person, but gave no further details. Thaksin's lawyers have been instructed to file complaints against those accusing him of orchestrating the bombings. Thai Defense Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said on Monday the attacks were "definitely not an extension" of the insurgency in the southern provinces that border Malaysia and where Malay-Muslim militants are fighting a bloody separatist war. However, some security experts have noted that southern militant groups have a track record of carrying out coordinated attacks. |
| Posted by:ryuge |