Do You Believe This Explanation?

Investigations by the Malaysian Defence Forces found the bombs that exploded at a military post near the Malaysia-Thailand border, in which four soldiers were injured on Wednesday, to have been accidentally caused and not hurled at them by intruders.

Army deputy chief Lt Jeneral Datuk Muhammad Ismail Jamaluddin in a statement here Friday night, said that based on explosives experts findings, the hand grenades in the blasts came from the Army's inventory.

"The Army regrets the confusion caused over the incident and wishes to reiterate that what happened on the morning of Jan 10 at the post was purely accidental. No intrusion whatsoever took place at the Ban Din Samoe post. The Army further wishes to stress that the security at the border has not been compromised and is well under control," he said.

In the incident, the soldiers, from the Army's Second Division based at the Sungai Ara Camp in Penang, were conducting routine operations when two explosions believed to be from hand grenades went off at about 5 am.

After being given initial treatment at the scene, the four, who received minor shrapnel wounds, were airlifted aboard a Royal Malaysian Air Force Nuri helicopter to the Army's Sixth Brigade Hospital in Sungai Petani for further checks.

Muhammad Ismail said: "How the accidental explosions happened and why the post chief made a different report will be investigated."

He said that proper action in accordance to existing procedures would be taken against the officers or members of the force if they were found guilty of making a false report.

He said that following the troop's report that the post was hit by two grenades, the second-in-command of the Infantry Division was directed to investigate the incident, and pieces of the hand grenades were sent to the Army's explosives experts to be analysed.

The analyses determined that the pieces were from hand grenades from the Army's inventory, he said.

He explained that the investigation team could only arrive at the scene a day later because bad weather did not permit helicopter flights there. (Bernama)

****** The above report to me has all the elements of plain bullshitting by the Army. The fact that more than one 'bomb' or grenade exploded 'accidentally' and that too, near or in the direction of our soldiers and the apparently false report by the post chief shows that something did happen and the Army is quickly covering up. But can you blame them? Lack of transparency is after all a national malady now.
Image - Source