Bomb defused at Greek embassy in Rome

[News_Editor]

Bomb defused at Greek embassy in Rome

2010-12-27 22:07:44 GMT+7 (ICT)

ROME, ITALY (BNO NEWS) -- A parcel bomb was defused by police at the Greek embassy in Rome on Monday, continuing a series of attacks against foreign embassies in the Italian capital, the ANSA news agency reported.

Police forces were able to defuse the explosive device located at the Greek embassy. Investigators said the device was similar to those which exploded at the Swiss and Chilean embassies last Thursday, injuring two employees.

The bomb found on Monday consisted of an envelope containing a CD player and a trigger fuse, according to police. So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the failed attack although an Italian anarchist group, the Informal Anarchist Federation (FAI), claimed responsibility for last week's attacks.

Interior Minister Roberto Maroni said the attack could have also been perpetrated by anarchist terrorists who sent parcel bombs to foreign governments and embassies in Athens last month. The FAI group reportedly has cells in Spain, Greece and Italy.

Investigators said that the parcel bomb found at the Greek embassy in Rome on Monday was signed by the Lambros Fountas Revolutionary Cell, a group linked with FAI which got its name in reference to the Greek anarchist killed in a clash with Athens police last March.

Also on Monday, Italian police were mobilized as the Danish, Monaco and Albanian embassies also reported bomb threats. Some were still being investigated several hours later.

In addition to last week's attacks on embassies in Rome, a makeshift bomb was found in an empty carriage of the Rome subway on Tuesday. 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.

In 2003, the FAI claimed responsibility for the first time for two parcel bombs which exploded at the home of former Italian Prime Minister Romano Prodi in Bologna. At that time, Prodi was the president of the European Commission.

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