ALOR STAR: Thirteen individuals have been arrested in connection with a violent altercation in Bedong, Sungai Petani, which resulted in the death of a car washer and left a security guard critically injured on Aug 15.
Kedah deputy police chief Deputy Commissioner Adzli Abu Shah said that the suspects, aged between 19 and 40, were apprehended following a series of intelligence operations conducted since the incident.
"It's too early to categorise this as a gang-related issue, but it appears the conflict stems from a long-standing feud that escalated when the individuals involved met while under the influence," he said during a press conference today.
The suspects have been remanded until Aug 23, with further investigations revealing that eight of them have previous criminal and drug-related records.
"During the operation, we seized a car, two motorcycles, 13 mobile phones, two helmets, shirts, and two sets of keys.
"The cases are being investigated under Sections 302 and 326/148 of the Penal Code," he added.
Adzli said that the police were continuing their investigation and are working to identify and locate any additional suspects.
"We urge the public to come forward with any information that can assist in the investigation," he said.
On Aug 16, it was reported that a car washer was killed, while a security guard was critically injured after they were attacked by a group of men in separate locations around Bedong.
The first attack took place at an empty lot near Kampung Toh Pawang.
The security guard was attacked by a group of five men armed with parangs, but the victim's friend managed to flee from the scene.
The suspects then headed to a car wash in Taman Bedong, some 2.7km away, and attacked the car washer.
Both men were rushed to Sultan Abdul Halim Hospital by their friends, but the car washer was pronounced dead on arrival.
Eight suspects were reportedly nabbed by police on Aug 16, while two more were detained the following day.