Three bomb blasts rock city
He did not give further details but said only that the targets were not Thais.The blasts injured five people including a bomb suspect carrying an Iranian passport who blew off his own legs.
Another Iranian suspect was arrested at Suvarnabhumi airport hours after the incident as he was about to leave for Malaysia. He is one of three suspects thought to be involved.
Picture from Bangkok PostThe United States and the United Kingdom yesterday reissued their travel warning for their nationals in response to the blasts.
Israel's Defence Minister Ehud Barak blamed the series of explosions on Iran.
Mr Barak was quoted in The Jerusalem Post as saying the bomb blasts were part of an attempted terrorist attack perpetrated by Iran.
"The attempted terror attack in Thailand proves once again that Iran and its proxies continue to operate in the ways of terror and the latest attacks are an example of that," Mr Barak said while on a state visit to Singapore.
The incident came one day after near simultaneous attacks on Israeli diplomats in Georgia and India. Israel pointed the finger at Iran for the attacks but Teheran denied responsibility.
Two explosions were heard shortly after one another around 2.20pm between soi Pridi Bhanomyong 31-35 off Sukhumvit 71 Road.
A passport found at one of the blast sites identified the severely injured man at the scene as Saeid Moradi, 28, from Iran.
The suspect reportedly threw a grenade at a taxi in Pridi Bhanomyong Soi 31 after the taxi driver failed to stop to take him.
He ran away from the scene to the front of Kasem Phithaya school on Sukhumvit 71 Road and allegedly hurled a box packed with explosives at a police patrol vehicle which was heading towards him.
The device hit a passing pickup truck, bounced back, fell next to him and exploded.
Picture from Bangkok PostA policeman and his patrol vehicle on Sukhumvit Soi 71, apparent targets of the suspected bomber Saeid Moradi. KOSOL NAKACHOL
Mr Moradi was sent to Chulalongkorn Hospital.
Police later arrested another of the remaining suspects at Suvarnabhumi airport about 6.20pm. The man, identified as Mohummad Hazaei, 42, is holding an Iranian passport, Metropolitan Police chief Winai Thongsong said. Mr Hazaei was due to board an Air Asia flight to Malaysia.
Mr Hazaei refused to give testimony to the police and asked for a translator, Pol Lt Gen Winai said.
Pol Gen Priewpan yesterday said an investigation found Mr Hazaei arrived in Thailand on Feb 8 on the same flight as Mr Moradi and another suspect who is on the run. The three came from Malaysia and landed in Phuket.
Police searched the two-storey house where the first explosion took place and found about 4 kilogrammes of C4 explosives planted in two radio receivers. Pol Lt Gen Winai said they are the same type as the three bombs which exploded at the rented house, a taxi, and in front of the school. A bomb squad source said each bomb could cause serious damage in a 40m radius. The source said such bomb-making methods had never been found in Thailand before.
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