Israeli, US tourists targetted

Israeli, US tourists targetted

A suspected Hezbollah member arrested on Friday by police targetted Jews and Americans in Bangkok, Defence Minister Gen Yutthasak Sasiprapa said today.

The militant group's plan was only to target certain public areas where large groups of Israelis and Americans were known to gather, such as Khao San Road, Gen Yutthasak told a news conference. No other provinces were on its list.

Gen Yutthasak said the group had chosen Bangkok as part of its plans to retaliate in every possible way against Israel, which it accused of masterminding the assassination of a top Hezbollah figure in Syria in 2008.

He said Thai security and intelligence agencies had received a tip-off from Israel's Mossad intelligence agency about movements by Hezbollah members in Thailand since Dec 18.

He insisted the group's movements were completely in the sights of the authorities, but they had yet to make any arrests because there was no evidence that the suspects had committed any offences.  

The reports initially indicated that two suspects linked to the Lebanon-based militant group had entered Thailand, but later said four or five suspects may have arrived in the kingdom.

Thai police were in charge of tracing two of the suspects, one of whom was identified as Atris Hussein, a Swedish-Lebanese man, who was arrested at Suvarnabhumi airport.

Mr Hussein allegedly admitted he came to Bangkok to carry out a terror attack but decided not to go ahead with it after his cover was blown by the authorities, the defence minister said. 

In Beirut, Hezbollah official Ghaleb Abu Zainab told LBC television yesterday that Mr Hussein was not a Hezbollah member.

Gen Yutthasak insisted all other Hezbollah suspects had left the country.    


Do you like the content of this article?
COMMENT (9)