Grenade 'attacks By Same Group'

[Flashermac]

POLICE believe the latest M79 attack in Bangkok was carried out by the same group who fired grenades at Chulabhorn Hospital last week.

 

In the latest attack - the 72nd overall since anti-government rallies began last October - two M79 grenades were fired at the rally site of the Students and People Network for Thailand's Reform (STR) at about 10.30pm on Saturday.

 

The first grenade hit behind the rally stage, injuring Narongchai Leesirirungrot, 52, and Isarawan Sriklai, 55.

 

The second grenade hit in front of Rajavinit Secondary School, damaging three phone booths and three cars.

 

Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officers led by Metropolitan Police Division Commander Maj-General Wicharnwat Borirakkul and Colonel Kamthorn Auicharoen, Metropolitan Police Bureau EOD unit commander, inspected the explosion scenes near the STR rally site yesterday.

 

Kamthorn said the two grenades were fired from the same launcher with an interval of about five seconds. The attacker was apparently aiming at the STR stage.

 

"The manner of the attack was similar to the M79 attacks against the Siam Commercial Bank head office on Phaholyothin Road and against Chulabhorn Hospital on Wednesday," Kamthorn said.

 

The attack on Wednesday followed the Constitutional Court's ruling that ousted Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra.

 

"This was the 72nd M79 attack since the rallies began in October and about 80 M79 grenades have been fired since then," Kamthorn said.

 

Early yesterday, an M79 grenade was fired at a building inside Rangsit University in Pathum Thani. Nobody was injured. Rangsit University is seen as having close ties with the anti-government group.

 

Police said the attack happened at 2am.

 

The grenade hit a room on the 12th floor of the Ratanakunakorn Building and did slight damage.

 

The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration's Erawan Emergency Health Service announced yesterday that since the clash between red shirts and Ramkamhaeng University students on November 30 last year, 22 people have been killed and 760 injured in political violence.

 

Seven of the injured were still being treated inside hospitals, it said.

 

 

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