BANGKOK, April 23 (Reuters) - Thailand's army chief said on Thursday some army bullets were used in the assassination attempt on Sondhi Limthongkul, the founder of the "yellow shirt" protest movement who had criticised the military.
Army chief Anupong Paochinda said the M-16 rounds used in last Friday's attack on Sondhi, whose movement has been at the heart of Thailand's political crisis, may have been stolen.
"These bullets are for training purposes by the First Army Region. This is clearly a leak," Anupong said, confirming that at least three spent M-16 cartridges were traced to the regional army that covers Bangkok and some central provinces.
He ordered an investigation and said any soldiers involved would be punished severely.
Anupong has previously denied speculation by some of Sondhi's colleagues that military personnel may have been involved in the assassination attempt. But the audacious attack while Bangkok is under emergency rule reinforced the belief "that only uniformed men with the protection of higher ups had the capacity to pull off such a high profile murder attempt", as the Bangkok Post's military affairs correspondent, Wassana Nanuam, wrote.
Police found 84 spent M-16, AK-47 and pistol cartridges and an unexploded M-79 grenade from the dawn attack by at least five gunmen, which followed a week of violent street protests by a rival group that supports former premier Thaksin Shinawatra.
Police have made no arrests, and Sondhi has been silent while recovering from a head wound that was not life-threatening. His driver was seriously wounded.
Almost killed by an M79 grenade
14 years ago
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