Parcel bomb addressed to the Mexican embassy explodes in Athens

Parcel bomb addressed to the Mexican embassy explodes in Athens

2010-11-01 21:19:45 GMT+7 (ICT)

ATHENS (BNO NEWS) -- A parcel bomb, addressed to the Mexican Embassy in Athens, exploded on Monday and caused minor injuries to an employee of a courier company, Greek media reported.

Greek police confirmed that three parcel bombs were sent to foreign missions in the Greek capital, without specifying the countries, although press reports said they were sent to the Belgium, Netherlands and Mexico embassies. A fourth was addressed to French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

Police arrested two individuals with one of the parcel bombs and seized two handguns and bulletproof vests, while another package of explosives was found in at courier company and exploded, injuring a woman.

Greek media said the explosion occurred at 12.40 p.m. local time (1040 GMT) in the Pagrati neighborhood of Athens, describing it as of "low intensity."

An official with the Mexican Embassy told Mexico's Televisa network that the bomb was sent by a leftist group in protest after a clash between Mexican police and an anarchist group.

Leftists groups have carried out bombings in Greece in the past. In June, a package bomb exploded in the Public Order Ministry, killing the security chief of the then-Minister Mihalis Chryssohoidis.

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