Security beefed up at Israeli Embassy in Bangkok

BANGKOK, July 25 (TNA) - Hundreds of Thai police officers have been deployed around the Israeli Embassy to Thailand in Bangkok's Asoke area to beef up security and oversee conveniences, as groups of Muslims were gathering to celebrate the International Al-Quds Day, an annual event held on the last Friday of Ramadan initiated by Iran in 1979 to express solidarity of Muslims with the Palestinian people and oppose Zionism, as well as Israel's control of Jerusalem. Police Major General Suebsak Phansura, Commander of the Metropolitan Police Division 5, told journalists that the intensified security was part of prepared measures to cope with the mass assembly of Muslim people from several areas, set at 1pm on July 25, to mark the International Al-Quds Day. According to the metropolitan police division 5 commander, the police officers were working together with a batch of soldiers to provide security in the area, comprising a riot control force of both male and female officers, two rapid mobile forces, an investigative force and an intelligence force. The police commander said the security measures were focused on Jewish residential areas and religious sites. Besides, four checkpoints were also set up both in front of and at the backside of the Israeli Embassy to prevent any untoward incident. The metropolitan police division 5 commander acknowledged that the heightened security measures were arranged as a precaution amid fighting between Israel and Hamas, the largest Palestinian militant Islamist movement, in Gaza Strip, killing about 700 victims and injuring more than 4,000 others since July 8, 2014. (TNA)