Car bomb explodes outside Greek central bank building
Attack comes hours before Greece taps bond markets
A car bomb exploded outside a central bank building in Athens early on Thursday, smashing windows but causing no injuries, just hours before Greece was due to make its first foray into the international bond markets in four years.
The dawn blast, which police believe was carried out by leftist or anarchist guerrilla groups, also came a day before a planned visit to Athens by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.
An anonymous caller warned a newspaper about 45 minutes before the explosion just before 6am, saying it contained about 70 kilograms of explosives, a police official said on condition of anonymity. A news website also received a warning call.
Witnesses saw debris strewn across the street in one of the busiest parts of central Athens that is lined with banks, shops and a mall. A second police official, who also declined to be named, said the force had yet to determine the amount and type of explosives used in the attack.
“It is clear that the attackers are trying to set the agenda,” Government Spokesman Simos Kedikoglou told Skai TV. “We will not allow the terrorists to succeed.”