Thai police conduct security raid in wake of Jakarta attack

Thai Police raided the area of Min Buri which housed large Muslim populations in Bangkok, as part of its heightened security measures in the aftermath of Jakarta's terrorist attack two days ago.

Area Three Metropolitan Police Chief, Maj Gen Chaiyaporn Panich-Attra who confirmed to Bernama on yesterday's raid said, the combined Police-Military security operation was led by himself.

"I led the team (to the area) following the Jakarta blast and the Ratchaprasong bombing in mid-August. We will continue conducting the security operation," he told Bernama today.

He said his team inspected the suspected rented apartments in the predominantly Muslim area of Bangkok, but did not find any "illegal objects" during the operation.

According to Chaiyaporn, the target of yesterday's raid was on suspicious persons who resided in the area but did not elaborate on the matter as it was deemed sensitive.

Nevertheless, he allayed fears that the Min Buri Muslim community might harbour, that Thai security forces would target the group during the ongoing security crackdown following the incident in Jakarta.

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"We do not target the Muslim community because the Muslim people are good people," he said.

Thai security elements including the police and military had increased their surveillance in strategic areas around Bangkok as well as over its borders with neighbouring countries, in the wake of the terrorist attack in Jakarta.

The attack in Jakarta, which was blamed on the local affiliate of the Daesh militant group, claimed seven lives including two civilians, an Indonesian and a Canadian.

Last August, Thailand suffered its worst bombing incident when a bomb was detonated inside the Erawan Shrine, located at a busy intersection in Rachaprasong, Bangkok killing 20 people, including five Malaysians.

Following the incident, the country launched a massive operation including in the Muslim-populated Min Buri area of the city and nabbed two main suspects.

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