Eight injured in Malaysia hand grenade attack: police

'I rule out terror attack. The blast is likely motivated by business rivalry' state deputy police chief says

KUALA LUMPUR: Eight people were injured after a hand grenade was thrown at a restaurant in Malaysia's central Selangor state, police said Tuesday, citing business rivalry rather than terrorism as the likely motive.

Abdul Rahim Jaafar, state deputy police chief, told AFP that the attack on the Movida restaurant in busy Puchong district was probably the result of a business conflict or revenge.



"Eight people were injured in the hand grenade attack early Tuesday. One of them, a man, is in serious condition," he said.

Abdul Rahim said initial investigations revealed that the assailant threw the explosive at a particular couple in the outlet.

"I rule out terror attack. The blast is likely motivated by business rivalry among the local gangsters or a revenge attack," he said.



News reports said the blast occurred when some 20 patrons in the restaurant were watching Italy play Spain in the Euro 2016.

In a similar attack in 2014, a Malaysian man was killed and 13 people, including Singaporean, Thai and Chinese tourists were injured, after a bomb exploded in front of a pub in Kuala Lumpur.