Bomb suspects hauled in

22 Aug 2016  2042 | World Travel News

BANGKOK Thailand’s junta on Thursday detained at least 15 suspects at military barracks on suspicion of launching a string of deadly bomb and arson attacks against tourist resorts last week.

The attacks took place 11 and 12 August killing four people and injuring 35 others.

No one has claimed responsibility for the bombing spree. which hit tourist towns in seven provinces in Thailand.

inside no 10The attacks were highly unusual in a country where foreigners and tourist towns are rarely caught up in the country’s frequent bouts of political violence.

Investigators have been under huge pressure to make quick arrests. Tourism accounts for as much as 10% of Thailand’s GDP and is one of the kingdom’s few economic bright spots under junta rule.

On Thursday, investigators confirmed they had detained multiple suspects.

“Authorities have detained 17 suspects at the special 11th Army Circle barracks in Bangkok, but we released two of them,” Colonel Burin Tongprapai, the junta’s top legal advisor, told reporters, Thursday.

He added that authorities were now looking to re-detain those two released suspects and that the entire group were likely to be charged this Friday.

Colonel Burin’s comments highlight the primary role the military have played in the investigation and is the first official admission that scores of suspects have been held since the bombings on army barracks.

Authorities have remained tight-lipped on the motive of the perpetrators of last week’s attack or the identities of anyone detained.

inside no 10.1But police and the military quickly ruled out international terrorism, saying the perpetrators were “local saboteurs”.

The assaults struck on the Queen’s birthday — a national holiday — just days after a controversial constitution was passed in a referendum vote.

A number of analysts claimed that the most likely culprits were southern separatists who have fought a lengthy but local insurgency in Thailand’s three southernmost provinces.

The attacks bore many hallmarks of the southern insurgents, who never claim their operations, including coordinated multiple strikes and the type of devices used.

But the junta leadership has been adamant that the deep- south conflict has not spread north, fearful that such an admission might harm tourism.

No details were given on Thursday about the identity of the 17 suspects, their faith, their alleged motives or what they will be charged with.

Two Chinese nationals accused of involvement in the 17 August 2015 bomb attack at the Erawan Shrine, Bangkok, are also being held at the same barracks.

Anthony Davis, a security analyst at Janes IHS, said regardless of who was behind last week’s bombings, they were a “watershed moment” because they singled out the tourism trade.

“Whoever is responsible for this may well come back,” he told AFP.

“And if that’s the case, then the tourism industry is at very serious risk.”

sourced:ttrweekly.com 

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