Chilean and Swiss embassies hit bomb attacks in Rome

[News_Editor]

Chilean and Swiss embassies hit bomb attacks in Rome

2010-12-24 05:33:39 GMT+7 (ICT)

ROME, ITALY (BNO NEWS) -- The Chilean and Swiss embassies in Rome were hit by parcel bomb attacks in Rome on Thursday, leaving two employees injured, the ANSA news agency reported.

The first bomb attack took place at around 11.00 a.m. local time when an employee of the Swiss embassy opened a package and a parcel bomb exploded. The 53-year-old employee was taken to the Policlinico Umberto I hospital where he will undergo surgery as his left hand was severely injured and is at risk of losing it.

"We express total solidarity with the Swiss embassy and all its personnel, who have been subject to a deplorable act of violence that deserves our firmest condemnation," said Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini.

Hours later, another parcel bomb exploded at the Chilean embassy. The blast occurred in a similar fashion to the Swiss embassy attack. An employee was also injured in this attack but was reported to be in a non life-threatening condition.

Another suspicious package was found at the Ukrainian embassy. In addition, there were two bomb threats at the Rome's city council but they were later ruled to be false alarms.

Police forces were rushed to the embassies and the city council to investigate and gather evidence. Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi was informed of the second embassy attack shortly after ending his end-of-year press conference.

Italian authorities believe that the attacks may be related to anarchist groups but ruled out a relation with the series of protests staged by students in recent days. Students went to the streets to protest against the controversial higher education reform bill.

On Tuesday, a makeshift bomb was found in an empty carriage of the Rome subway. However, the explosive device was later found to be a false threat as it could not ignite due to the lack of detonator as well as the material inside it being not explosive.

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