Police have arrested two of nine suspects allegedly involved in the bombing of police flats in Narathiwat province late last year, which left one officer dead, according to the national police chief.
Pol Gen Damrongsak Kittiprapas said during a visit to the province on Monday that investigators have identified nine suspects in the police flats bombing, which occurred on Nov 22, and two of them have been arrested.
They were named as Abdulmoobin Latay and Usman Sani, both 25. They confessed to the police flats bombing and said seven others were also involved, he said.
The bomb was placed in a pickup truck by Hasbulla Sani, who allegedly drove to the flats in Muang district, police said. Surveillance camera recordings showed a suspect leaving the area on a motorcycle after parking a black Isuzu pickup.
Mr Hasbulla and another man bought the Trang-registered truck from a woman, in Muang district on Nov 5, Pol Gen Damrongsak said.
The woman advertised the vehicle for sale on Facebook, he said, adding its ownership had been transferred several times since 2021. Surveillance footage showed the suspects came from Narathiwat's Tak Bai district, he said. They used six vehicles, five of which have been seized, he said.
The Narathiwat Provincial Court had issued arrest warrants for Mr Abdulmoobin, Mr Usman and Mr Hasbulla, and for six other suspects -- Abdulmatin Mama, Abdulhafis Duereh, Wafee Sapadee, Isal Salae, Saipurusman Mama and Muhammadhafis Jedueramae, Pol Gen Damrongsak said.
The police flats bombing on Nov 22 killed one officer and injured 43 others, including 18 family members, and damaged 70 rooms, he said.
Also, police yesterday linked the explosions along a railway track in Sadao district of Songkhla last month to Asman Pohloh, a wanted man.
The first explosion occurred on Dec 3, between the Khlong Ngae and Padang Besar railway stations, derailing a freight train and causing damage to the cargo. No one was injured in the incident. The second occurred on Dec 6, while a crew was salvaging the train. It killed three workers and injured four others.
Pol Gen Damrongsak said that Jirasak Pengloh, a suspect arrested months earlier on Feb 3, 2022, said he and Mr Asman were once ordered to survey the track to plan a bombing. A witness saw Mr Asman and another man riding away from the scene 30 minutes before the first blast, he said.