Iranians Charged with Bangkok Blasts

Thai authorities announced on Wednesday that they have connected four people to Tuesday's bomb attacks in Bangkok, the capital.

Two Iranians are under arrest in Thailand and are charged with causing an illegal explosion in a public area and attempting to kill police officers and members of the public Surapong Tovichakchaikul, Thailand's foreign minister, said.

Officials claim that the suspects intended to target individuals, not large groups of people.

One, identified as Mohammad Hazaei, was arrested at the Bangkok airport as he tried to leave the country.

Another Iranian suspect, who authorities identified as Saeid Moradi, lost both his legs after allegedly attempting to throw a bomb at police in the central Bangkok neighborhood of Ekamai. He is currently in stable condition at a Bangkok hospital. Four other people were injured in the same incident.

A third suspect escaped to Malaysia, but was apprehended by Malaysian police after attempting to board a flight bound for Iran at the Kuala Lumpur airport.

The fourth suspect is currently at large.

Thai officials said they believe that the attacks were linked to assassination attempts against Israeli diplomats in India and the former Societ republic of Georgia that occurred on Monday. Four were injured in the Delhi attacks, and Georgian police discovered a bomb under an Israeli diplomatic vehicle before it exploded.

We cannot say yet if it's a terrorist act, Thai foreign minister Tovichakchaikul said, but it's similar to the assassination attempt against a diplomat in India.

Perpetrators used magnets to attach bombs to the cars of Israeli diplomats in India and Georgia. Authorities are investigating a possible connection based on the similarity of materials used in Monday's attacks and found in one of the Bangkok bombers' possession.

The individual was in possession of the same magnets and we are currently examining the source of the magnet, Al-Jazeera quoted Wichian Podphosri, secretary of Thailand's National Security Council, as saying.

Indian officials have not concluded if the culprits of the bombing there are in fact Iranian operatives, citing a current lack of evidence.

Israel blames Iran for the attacks, yet Tehran denies any involvement.