AFP, BANGKOK: Moscow’s top intelligence agency has warned that 10 Syrians linked to the Islamic State group have entered Thailand to target Russians, the kingdom’s police said Friday.
A leaked letter, marked “top secret” and “urgent” and signed by the deputy head of Thailand’s special branch, was widely circulated in local media late Thursday.
It said Moscow’s Federal Security Service (FSB) had told Thai police that the group of Syrians entered the country between October 15 and 31 potentially to target Russian interests.
“They (the Syrians) travelled separately. Four went to Pattaya, two to Phuket, two to Bangkok and the other two to (an) unknown location,” the letter said, citing information from the FSB.
“Their purpose is to create bad incidents to affect Russians and Russia’s alliance with Thailand,” the letter said, without naming the suspects.
More than 1.6 million Russian tourists visited Thailand in 2014, the largest number from European nations. Arrivals from Russia spike during the Christmas and New Year holiday season.
The Russian embassy in Bangkok would not immediately comment on the letter.