Blast at Central Athens Post Office

12/12/2005| IslamWeb

An explosion rocked a central Athens post office, close to Greece's Finance Ministry, on Monday, causing some damage, a police official told Reuters.

It was not immediately clear if there were any casualties in the blast at the city's main Syntagma Square.

A witness told state television he saw shattered glass more than 50 metres from the site of the blast.

Police said there was a warning call to a Greek newspaper about half an hour before the explosion, saying a bomb had been placed near the Economy and Finance Ministry.

Police said the explosive device was made up of about 10 medium-sized gas canisters.

State television pictures showed damage to nearby buildings, cars and cafes and shattered windows in the business district of the city shortly before the morning rush hour.

It was not immediately clear who was behind the blast. Police officials did not say whether it was being linked to the appeals trial of 15 members of Greece's once-feared November 17 radical leftist guerrilla group.

PHOTO CAPTION

Forensic experts comb through debris after a bomb blast outside the country's Economy Ministry in Athens December 12, 2005. (REUTERS)