Police officials said today the recent grenade attack on a Bangkok court and bombs detonated in the Siam Square area last month were both politically motivated attacks likely orchestrated by those aligned with the Red Shirt movement.
Saying police have been unable to find any other motive, Royal Thai Police Chief Gen. Somyot Pumpanmuang said police are confident the attacks are intended to destabilize the security environment for political gain.
“It is what the police are suspecting,”Somyot said in an interview published by Khaosod English. “Because there are no other motives. I don’t know what kind of interest drove them to plant a bomb or cause violence and confusion at this time. But I do not think there is another motive other than what the police are suspecting.”
Police have arrested five suspects they believe linked to Saturday night’s attack on the Criminal Court, when a pair of men on a motorcycle tossed a grenade onto its grounds.
Warrants for four more were issued Monday by a military court.
No one was seriously injured in either attack, which officials have said were likely intended to provoke and create chaos.
Somyot’s comments are in line with other assertions the attacks are part of a campaign by unnamed supporters loyal to the former elected government pushed from power in May.
Although the police investigation into the Siam bombings seemed to hit a dead end, Somyot hinted that there will be results soon.
“I cannot say when we will arrest them, and I cannot tell the media where the suspects are because this concerns a police investigation, which cannot be revealed to the press,” he said.
In the interview, he played down reports of a plot to target at least 100 important sites in a bid to draw the United Nation’s attention to Thailand, as police said one of the bombing suspects confessed.
“I don’t know how many targets they intend to bomb,” Pol.Gen. Somyot said. “Those are just words from the suspect. We do not know if they are true. However, we have never let our guard down. Therefore, we are giving importance to every major venue that we suspect could be a target of terrorists.”
File photo: Royal Thai Police Chief Somyot Pumpanmuang, NNT
Related:
Warrants issued for four more suspects in court bombing
Bangkok bombing plot targets 100 sites, authorities claim
Police probe link between Siam bombing and dead Min Buri bombers
