Thais downplay global terror links
Bangkok blast
AFP
Thailand said yesterday international terror groups were likely not behind a deadly Bangkok shrine bombing, but appealed for Interpol help in hunting a foreign man accused of being the prime suspect, reports AFP from Bangkok.
Mondays attack on the Erawan shrine in a popular tourist hub of Bangkok killed 20 people, mostly Asian visitors, leaving residents and even the military junta leader fearful of further bombings.
The apparent deliberate targeting of tourists and the scale of the explosion had never been seen in the Thai capital and, with no-one claiming responsibility, experts were perplexed over who to blame.
Thai police conceded Thursday they still did not know if a foreign man suspected of planting the bomb at the shrine was in the country or not, nor who he was affiliated with, as they called in help.
We will seek help from Interpol today (Thursday), Major General Apichart Suriboonya, the head of Thailands Interpol unit, told AFP.
Thailands national police chief, Somyot Poompanmoung, then gave the most detailed profile of the mysterious group behind the attack, saying more than 10 people were involved and they planned it for at least a month.
But after days of confusing and sometimes contradictory information from Thai authorities over their investigation, they also said they did not believe global terrorist organisations were involved.
Its unlikely that its the work of an international terrorist group, Colonel Winthai Suvaree, a junta spokesman, said in a televised update.
