Blast hits far-right bookshop in Athens: police

Athens, Oct 13: A bomb exploded at a far-right bookshop in the heart of Athens, causing some material damage, a police source said today.

The blast, caused by a small explosive device, came after a phone call was placed to a left-wing newspaper warning of the imminent attack.

A far-left militant group claimed responsibility Thursday for a small bomb that exploded in the heart of Athens, saying it had targeted the home of a "vindictive" prosecutor.

Greek police said earlier they believed a right-wing bookshop on the ground floor of the the prosecutor's apartment building, outside of which the bomb went off on Wednesday night, was the target.

Police cordoned off the area in central Athens after the Wednesday night attack. The bookshop, which has been the target of other attacks in the past, suffered minor material damage.

The building where the bookshop is housed is also home to the Athens prosecutor of the appeals court.

In the past 10 years, hundreds of arson and bomb attacks have hit financial, diplomatic and political targets, with police blaming extremist groups. Such attacks have grown rarer in recent years, however, with several fringe groups now dismantled.

PTI