Bangkok, Thailand (CNN)At least 10 people may have been involved in the deadly bombing at a Bangkok shrine, but the attack is unlikely to be linked to worldwide terrorist groups, Thai authorities say.
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The police released a sketch of the suspected perpetrator who was seen on a surveillance camera at the scene.
Although the main suspect in the footage has not been identified, an arrest warrant for him has been issued by Bangkok’s Southern Criminal Court.
Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha “is anxious about the security of people and tourists in Thailand“, the police chief said yesterday before heading into a three-hour meeting of national police commanders.
The Monday evening attack has left the city on edge and dealt a major blow to the country’s cash-cow tourism sector.
The man is seen carefully removing his backpack inside the shrine – at the spot the bomb went off – then getting up without it and immediately leaving.
The attack left at least 11 foreigners dead, with Chinese, Singaporeans, Indonesians and a family from Malaysia among the victims.
Another 67 people remained in hospital by late Wednesday, 12 of whom were in critical condition.
The sketch released yesterday showed a young man in glasses with bushy, dark hair that is cropped at the sides.
But apart from a rough portrait, authorities have few solid leads – they don’t know the bomber’s motive, where he’s from or if he’s still in the country.
In the footage, two men, dressed respectively in red and white, appear to be standing close to the primary suspect as he drops a black backpack at Erawan Shrine 15 minutes prior to the explosion.
National police spokesman Lt. Gen. Prawut Thavornsiri said the two men “definitely” are no longer suspects, according to AP.
Thailand’s military government has said the attack was unlikely to be the work of foreign militants and that it was not targeted at China, despite the shrine being popular with Chinese tourists.
Police had initially said a second explosion at a Bangkok pier on Tuesday that caused no injuries may also be linked, deepening fears for Bangkok residents of their safety.
The police chief also told reporters: “I don’t suspect one person, I suspect many people“.
A woman pays respects at the Erawan Shrine at Rajprasong intersection in Bangkok, Thailand, Wednesday, August 19, 2015.
“They may kill them to ensure their silence”, he said.
No one has claimed responsibility for the blast.
No-one has yet said they carried out the attack.
Its surroundings had been largely restored and the pools of congealed blood scrubbed away.
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He said the man in the CCTV images could have been disguised, but that people who looked similar would be called in for questioning.
