Bank of Greece hit by car bomb

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/10/bank-of-greece-hit-by-car-bomb

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A car bomb went off outside a Bank of

Greece building in central Athens early on Thursday, smashing windows in

nearby shops but causing no injuries, police and witnesses

said.

The blast happened hours before Greece planned its first foray into

the international bond markets since it plunged into a debt crisis four

years ago, and a day before a visit by the German chancellor, Angela Merkel.

An anonymous caller warned a newspaper of the attack about 45

minutes ahead of the explosion, which took place just before 6am. The caller said the car contained about 70kg (155lb) of explosives, said a police

official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility but police believed

leftist or anarchist groups were behind it, the official said. Witnessess saw debris strewn across the street in a busy part of the capital lined with banks, shops and a mall.

Makeshift bombings and arson attacks have escalated since Greece adopted

unpopular austerity measures in exchange for multibillion euro bailouts

by the European Union and International Monetary Fund in 2010.

Small-scale attacks against politicians, journalists and

businesspeople are frequent in Greece, which has a long history of

political violence.