Two hurt in blast at Greek ministry
Monday, 12 December 2005 16:11A suspected bomb attack on Greece's Economy Ministry in central Athens early this morning injured two people hit by flying shards of glass and caused extensive damage.
The ministry is located above a post office in the city's main Syntagma Square, about 100m from the country's parliament. It was closed at the time of the blast, which happened at around 4am Irish time or 6am local time.
The explosion damaged shop fronts, cars and cafes and shattered windows in the business district of the city shortly before the morning rush hour.
Police initially thought the blast had struck the post office but later said the bomb, thought to be a home-made device, was believed to have been left on a motorcycle parked close to the building.
It was not immediately clear who was behind the blast.
Police said there were two warning calls to a Greek newspaper about half an hour before the explosion, saying a bomb had been placed near the Economy Ministry.
It was the second bomb attack at a government building in six months.
In June a guerrilla group calling itself Revolutionary Struggle bombed the Labour Ministry in the heart of Athens, causing no injuries but seriously damaging the building.
Police consider the bomb used to be more powerful than those used during minor attacks by fringe groups in recent years.
But officials did not say whether the explosion was being linked to the appeals trial of 15 members of Greece's once-feared November 17 radical leftist guerrilla group.
Several fringe groups in recent weeks had warned of attacks during the trial.
