Police have released two men arrested in connection with a grenade attack in Phnom Penh’s Sen Sok district on Thursday evening that left an 11-year-old boy dead and five others injured, police said Sunday.
Sorn Sin, 56, a real estate broker, was eating dinner with his children and friends in the front yard of their Khmuonh commune home at about 7 p.m. Thursday when two men drove past the house and lobbed a grenade toward them.
Mr. Sin’s son, Sin Dara, 11, died at Kantha Bopha hospital later that night of injuries sustained in the explosion. The five others wounded in the blast, including Mr. Sin, are still recovering in the hospital.
District police on Thursday night arrested two suspects who were spotted driving a motorbike that was the same color as that described by witnesses.
Commune chief Suong Mok on Sunday identified the men, who share the same name but are not related, as Mol Mao, 26, and Mol Mao, 29.
“The two men were arrested while driving their motorbike home from work,” Mr. Mok said.
“The police detained them because they were driving the same color motorbike, but the answers of the men when questioned showed they are not the culprits,” he said, adding that both men were released Friday evening.
Mr. Mok said that while witnesses described the attackers’ motorbike as having no license plate, the older Mr. Mao’s did.
Nhean Nan, chief of police in Khmuonh commune, said Sunday that police had not identified any new suspects. “When we know who they are, we will arrest them, but we have not identified them yet,” he said.
Speaking by telephone from the hospital Sunday, Mr. Sin said commune police had shown him photos of both Mr. Maos.
“They were not the culprits,” he said, adding that he had no idea why he was targeted in the attack.
“I have never had any arguments with others and I never did anything wrong,” he said.
