2 more arrest warrants for Thai tourist bombings

A Thai military court on Friday issued two more arrest warrants, accusing Muslim men from its insurgency-torn south of involvement in last month’s tourist town bombings, deepening speculation that the attacks were waged by rebels from the border region.

The new warrants came as Thai officials met for peace talks with representatives of the ethnic Malay militants behind the 12-year revolt in Thailand’s three southern border provinces, a Muslim-majority area known as the 'deep south'.

No one has claimed responsibility for the August 11-12 bombing spree that struck top tourist towns further north, killing four and wounding dozens. But security analysts say the attacks bore all the hallmarks of the southern insurgents, even if the tourist towns lay far outside their traditional conflict zone.

Thai authorities have now identified five suspects – all Muslim men from the deep south, several of whom have a record of involvement in the insurgency. 

The police again stressed on Friday that it was too early to determine a motive for the blasts that fell on a public holiday and rocked Thailand's vital tourist industry.