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Thai police: Bangkok explosions carried out by network

By Marilyn Malara
A sketch of the main suspect of the Bangkok attacks. Photo courtesy of the Thai police.
A sketch of the main suspect of the Bangkok attacks. Photo courtesy of the Thai police.

BANGKOK, Aug. 19 (UPI) -- The bombing which took place at Erawan Shrine in Bangkok earlier this week is said to have been completed by a "network," a Thai law enforcement official said Wednesday.

Authorities have released a sketch of the main suspect who, recorded in security footage, left a backpack in the shrine before the blast. A 1 million baht (around $28,000) reward is being offered for information leading to the alleged bomber's location.

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"The wrong-doer could not have been alone," Thai police chief Somyot Poompanmoung said. "We believe there must be people helping him...It's a network."

Video footage of the man wanted in connection to the bomb blast was released Tuesday. Closed-circuit television footage shows a man in a yellow shirt removing a backpack he was carrying and placing it carefully on the floor inside the shrine. He is seen leaving the scene moments after.

The Erwarn Shrine is a sacred site dedicated to the Hindu god Brahma and located in front of the Grand Hyatt Erawan, a five-star luxury hotel in the heart of Bangkok's Chidlom district. Monday's attack left at least 22 victims dead.

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As video footage was being released to the public Tuesday, a second blast shook the Thai capital.

The second explosive device, possibly a grenade, was thrown on Tuesday from the Taksin Bridge, which detonated near the Sathorn Pier after falling into the Chao Phraya River below. Video footage of the blast shows a burst of water as people on a walkway run away for safety. No one was injured, according to police.

The Telegraph reports two other men seen in the security footage are suspected to be involved in the attack.

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