Assault on court leaves no injuries

Assault on court leaves no injuries

Bomb attacks hit the Criminal Court and a group of anti-government protesters in Bangkok yesterday but no one was injured.

Two grenades were thrown at the court on Ratchadapisek Road about 10.30am.

One grenade exploded by an outer fence. Police found its spring, damaged casing and safety pin. The grenade broke in two and police assume it was faulty.

The other grenade landed inside the fence in a parking lot for judges near a PTT petrol station. It did not go off.

Pol Col Kamthorn Ouicharoen, commander of the ordnance disposal unit, said the grenades were M61s with five-second delay fuses, made in the United States. Their destruction radius is 15-20 metres and Thai police and military use them.

According to the commander, the first grenade did not explode properly possibly due to old age and the second did not explode because the attacker removed its safety pin but forgot to pull off its safety clip.

Grenades of the same type were recently used to attack the Suan Pakkad Palace, home to Bangkok governor MR Sukhumbhand Paribatra, and the residence of former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva.

According to Cpl Amnat Pothepa and Sgt Prasit Klinkularp who guarded the Criminal Court, two men on a pink-white Yamaha Fino motorcycle rode past them at the entrance, looked at them and one of them threw the two grenades at the exit gate. The motorcyclist wore a half-face helmet and the pillion rider wore a full-face black mask and a black long-sleeve shirt.

Phattarasak Wannasaeng, secretary of the Office of the Judiciary, said the office would boost security as judges use the parking lot.

Deputy national police chief Pol Gen Aek Angsananont said the attackers mounted a bold, well-planned attack and managed to escape via a minor road despite attacking in broad daylight in a busy area.

Another attack targeted a group of protesters who were following Witthaya Kaewparadai, a co-leader of the People’s Democratic Reform Committee, from Lumpini Park to the Centre for Maintaining Peace and Order.

An object thought to be a grenade exploded by the protesters' loudspeaker vehicle. No one was injured.

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