Thai police confirm Russian warning about possible IS attack

Bangkok (dpa) - Thai police confirmed Friday it was looking for Syrian terrorist suspects following a tip-off from Moscow.A Thai police memo was leaked earlier asking officers to follow up on information from Russia‘s Federal Security Service (FSB) that 10 Syrian nationals had entered Thailand to carry out attacks.Deputy police spokesman Songpol Watanachai told reporters Friday the memo was genuine. It said the suspects had split up and travelled to the tourist resorts of Pattaya and Phuket as well as Bangkok.Colonel Winthai Suvaree, a spokesman for Thailand‘s military government, said the suspects had not been located but the security forces were well able to handle the situation."We have not found any evidence of IS terrorists within the country," Winthai told dpa by phone.Around 1.6 million Russians visited Thailand in 2014, the second-largest national group to visit the country.Islamic State fundamentalists in October claimed a bomb that killed 224 people, mostly Russian nationals, on a Russian plane in Egypt.The group said it was in retaliation for Russia‘s military campaign in Syria.