Thailand’s police chief said bombs that exploded in the capital earlier in the week were meant to target Israelis.

“I can tell you that the target was specific and aimed at Israeli diplomatic staff,” the national police chief, Gen. Prewpan Dhamapong, told a Thai television station late Wednesday, according to the Associated Press.

An accidental explosion took place Tuesday at a rented house in Bangkok being used by a group of Iranians. One of the Iranians later lost both of his legs when he detonated an explosive after being confronted by police.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Three Iranians have been arrested in connection with the incident.

Dhamapong said that the Iranians had explosive devices similar to ones placed the previous day on diplomatic vehicles associated with the Israeli embassies in India and Georgia.

One of the detained Iranians was brought before journalists Thursday, according to the Associated Press. Prewpan said the Iranian, Mohammad Kharzei, had “partially confessed,” the AP reported.

One of the Iranians was arrested in Malaysia; it is unclear whether he will be extradited to Thailand.

An Iranian woman who rented the house that exploded in the Thai capital fled the country for Tehran, according to reports.

The Iranians face criminal charges including possession of explosives, attempted murder, attempted murder of a policeman and causing property damage.

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. We’ve started our Passover Fundraising Drive, and we need 1,800 readers like you to step up to support the Forward by April 21. Members of the Forward board are even matching the first 1,000 gifts, up to $70,000.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism, because every dollar goes twice as far.

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

2X match on all Passover gifts!

$90 → $180 $180 → $360

$360 → $720

Other amount