MANDALAY – One man was injured in a blast outside a festival in Mandalay Region’s Chanayethazan Township on Thursday in an incident that was labelled a threat to the stability of the region by the local government.
Ko Zaw Hein, 28, was taken to Mandalay General Hospital with injuries to his left arm and a motorcycle was destroyed after a suspected improvised exploding device was set off at 9:50 p.m. outside a Nyeint Pwe festival, according to local police.
Police later seized the two mobile phones found near the motorcycle which were believed to be used as detonators for the blast, secretary for the Mandalay regional government U Myint Tin told reporters on Friday, adding that it was too early to identify the culprit and police had opened an investigation into the incident.
“The blast was not large so there was no huge impact but it is clear someone is trying to threaten regional stability,” he said.
Security in Mandalay Region had been bolstered following government warnings earlier this month with joint patrols by police and local organizations and residents, but security forces will be put on alert to ensure the safety of locals, he said.