Bukit Bintang blast is third bomb attack in Malaysia this year

People watch as police tow away a damaged white sedan (centre in foreground) at the scene of a grenade attack outside a shopping centre at Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 9, 2014. An explosion outside a Kuala Lumpur pub on Thursday tha
People watch as police tow away a damaged white sedan (centre in foreground) at the scene of a grenade attack outside a shopping centre at Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur on Oct 9, 2014. An explosion outside a Kuala Lumpur pub on Thursday that killed one and injured 12 others is the third reported bomb attack this year, according to the New Straits Times. -- PHOTO: REUTERS

KUALA LUMPUR - An explosion outside a Kuala Lumpur pub on Thursday that killed one and injured 12 others is the third reported bomb attack this year, according to the New Straits Times.

On Sept 13, police arrested a man, 50, on suspicion of setting a booby trap with a hand grenade to kill his wife in Kampung Baru Subang. The suspect, a former soldier, accused Ms Chong May Lun, 40, of cheating on him.

Ms Chong was unhurt when the grenade went off under her car, but the rear fender of her Toyota Vios came off and shrapnel penetrated the boot and rear passenger seats, Bernama reported.

In a separate incident, burglars in July bombed a bank in an attempted robbery but got away empty-handed at the Melati Industrial Park in Bukit Beruntung.

The homemade bomb damaged three automated teller machines, two cash deposit machines, two cash recycling machines and one check deposit machine, The Star reported, quoting the bank's assistant manager.

"The ceiling collapsed, causing a mess in the bank's service area. The tellers were damaged, but no money was removed from the machines," said Selangor deputy CID chief ACP Rooslan Radzi.

Like the two incidents, the third attack on Thursday morning at Jalan Bukit Bintang was not related to terrorism, say authorities.

Mr Ayob Khan Mydin, deputy chief of the Malaysian police's counter-terrorism division, said the incident was gangster-related.

"We haven't narrowed down the motive," said Kuala Lumpur City Criminal Investigation Department Chief Gan Kong Meng. "We believe more than one person was involved in the incident."

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