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Bomb blasts may have link with referendum opponents: Thai police

Xinhua, August 12, 2016 Adjust font size:

Royal Thai police said on Friday that the stunning string of blasts across five provinces within 24 hours might have links to opponents to last Sunday's constitution referendum, local media reported.

Royal Thai police chief Chakthip Chaijinda made this assumption after a video meeting with officials to proceed with investigations on the wave of coordinated explosions rattled multiple cities across southern Thailand.

So far the attacks have killed at least four people and wounded 35 people.

He believed that the explosions could be linked with the Aug. 7 referendum. As the timing suggested it could have been carried out by the opponents.

Meanwhile, police has ruled out international terrorism links in the series of bomb explosions, saying it is different from international terrorism but local sabotage aimed to destroy the country's tourism atmosphere.

Chakthip said the types of the bombs are similar to small bombings in the three Muslim-majority southernmost provinces of Thailand, where a bloody insurgency has killed more than 6,500 people since 2004.

On Sunday, Thai voters approved a referendum on a new constitution that is supposed to lead to an election next year. Endit