Blast at U.S. embassy called 'terrorism'

By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS, Associated Press Writer
10 minutes ago

ATHENS, Greece - A rocket was fired at the U.S. embassy early Friday, striking the front of the building but causing no injuries. A senior police official said the blast was an act of terrorism.

Police cordoned off streets around the heavily guarded building after the explosion shortly before 6 a.m. The shell struck the third floor and smashed glass in nearby buildings.

Investigators found the device used to fire the rocket shell at a construction site near the embassy.

'This is an act of terrorism. We don't know where from,' Attica Police Chief Asimakis Golfis said. 'There was a shell that exploded in the toilets of the building ... It was fired from street level.'

Embassy officials confirmed that an explosion had taken place and said that no one had been injured. U.S. ambassador Charles Reis said the damage was 'not extensive.'

'There can be no justification for such a senseless act of violence ... The embassy was occupied at the time (but) nobody was hurt, he said.

Authorities were searching apartment buildings near the U.S. Embassy and a nearby hospital for evidence.

'I heard a loud bang I didn't realize what was going on,' said Giorgos Yiannoulis, who runs a kiosk near the embassy.

Traffic came to a standstill across parts of central Athens, as police and emergency services scrambled to the embassy building, which is a frequent destination for protest groups.

It was the first major attack against a U.S. target in more than a decade, following the arrest of members of Greece's far-left November 17 terrorist group. The group was blamed for killing 23 people — including U.S., British and Turkish officials — and dozens of bomb attacks.

In 2003, a special court gave multiple life sentences to November 17's leader, chief assassin and three other members. Lesser sentences were given to 10 others.

Blast at U.S. embassy called 'terrorism'

By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS, Associated Press Writer
10 minutes ago

ATHENS, Greece - A rocket was fired at the U.S. embassy early Friday, striking the front of the building but causing no injuries. A senior police official said the blast was an act of terrorism.

Police cordoned off streets around the heavily guarded building after the explosion shortly before 6 a.m. The shell struck the third floor and smashed glass in nearby buildings.

Investigators found the device used to fire the rocket shell at a construction site near the embassy.

'This is an act of terrorism. We don't know where from,' Attica Police Chief Asimakis Golfis said. 'There was a shell that exploded in the toilets of the building ... It was fired from street level.'

Embassy officials confirmed that an explosion had taken place and said that no one had been injured. U.S. ambassador Charles Reis said the damage was 'not extensive.'

'There can be no justification for such a senseless act of violence ... The embassy was occupied at the time (but) nobody was hurt, he said.

Authorities were searching apartment buildings near the U.S. Embassy and a nearby hospital for evidence.

'I heard a loud bang I didn't realize what was going on,' said Giorgos Yiannoulis, who runs a kiosk near the embassy.

Traffic came to a standstill across parts of central Athens, as police and emergency services scrambled to the embassy building, which is a frequent destination for protest groups.

It was the first major attack against a U.S. target in more than a decade, following the arrest of members of Greece's far-left November 17 terrorist group. The group was blamed for killing 23 people — including U.S., British and Turkish officials — and dozens of bomb attacks.

In 2003, a special court gave multiple life sentences to November 17's leader, chief assassin and three other members. Lesser sentences were given to 10 others.

Blast at U.S. embassy called 'terrorism'

By NICHOLAS PAPHITIS, Associated Press Writer
10 minutes ago

ATHENS, Greece - A rocket was fired at the U.S. embassy early Friday, striking the front of the building but causing no injuries. A senior police official said the blast was an act of terrorism.

Police cordoned off streets around the heavily guarded building after the explosion shortly before 6 a.m. The shell struck the third floor and smashed glass in nearby buildings.

Investigators found the device used to fire the rocket shell at a construction site near the embassy.

'This is an act of terrorism. We don't know where from,' Attica Police Chief Asimakis Golfis said. 'There was a shell that exploded in the toilets of the building ... It was fired from street level.'

Embassy officials confirmed that an explosion had taken place and said that no one had been injured. U.S. ambassador Charles Reis said the damage was 'not extensive.'

'There can be no justification for such a senseless act of violence ... The embassy was occupied at the time (but) nobody was hurt, he said.

Authorities were searching apartment buildings near the U.S. Embassy and a nearby hospital for evidence.

'I heard a loud bang I didn't realize what was going on,' said Giorgos Yiannoulis, who runs a kiosk near the embassy.

Traffic came to a standstill across parts of central Athens, as police and emergency services scrambled to the embassy building, which is a frequent destination for protest groups.

It was the first major attack against a U.S. target in more than a decade, following the arrest of members of Greece's far-left November 17 terrorist group. The group was blamed for killing 23 people — including U.S., British and Turkish officials — and dozens of bomb attacks.

In 2003, a special court gave multiple life sentences to November 17's leader, chief assassin and three other members. Lesser sentences were given to 10 others.

Ετσι μπραβο!!!

Έκρηξη στην αμερικάνικη πρεσβεία στην Βασ.Σοφίας

Αθήνα
Τελευταία ενημέρωση 08:24

Έκρηξη σημειώθηκε λίγα λεπτά πριν από τις 06:00 την Παρασκευή στον τρίτο όροφο της αμερικάνικης πρεσβείας στη λεωφ. Βασ. Σοφίας στο κέντρο της Αθήνας. Σύμφωνα με όλες τις ενδείξεις, πρόκειται για επίθεση με ρουκέτα, που δημιούργησε τρύπα πάνω από το θυρεό της αμερικάνικης πρεσβείας.

Από την έκρηξη δεν υπάρχουν τραυματίες, ενώ έχουν σπάσει τζάμια του κτιρίου. Οι ζημιές εντοπίζονται στον τρίτο όροφο και ειδικότερα στο γραφείο του Αμερικανού πρέσβη.

Ο Αμερικανός πρέσβης Τσαρλς Ρις έκανε λόγο για «πολύ σοβαρή επίθεση», που δεν μπορεί να αιτιολογηθεί. Σημείωσε ότι η συνεργασία με την ελληνική πλευρά είναι πολύ καλή και πως αξιωματικοί της αντιτρομοκρατικής υπηρεσίας βρίσκονται εντός του κτιρίου.

Σύμφωνα με τις πληροφορίες που μεταδίδουν ραδιοτηλεοπτικά μέσα ενημέρωσης, πρόκειται για επίθεση με ρουκέτα 2,36 ιντσών, αμερικανικής κατασκευής.

Η ρουκέτα πιθανολογείται ότι εκτοξεύθηκε από σημείο της οδού Λαμψάκου, ακριβώς απέναντι από το κτίριο της πρεσβείας. Στο σημείο βρίσκεται ένα οικόπεδο, με ένα μικρό εργοτάξιο, καλυμένο με λαμαρίνες.

Η αστυνομία βρήκε εκεί έναν πυροσωλήνα, ο οποίος φαίνεται ότι χρησιμοποιήθηκε για την εκτόξευση της ρουκέτας. Η ρουκέτα δημιούργησε τρύπα μεγέθους περίπου 10χ30 εκατ. ακριβώς πάνω από το θυρεό της πρεσβείας.

Τα υπολείμματα της ρουκέτας εντοπίστηκαν από την αστυνομία στο εσωτερικού του κτιρίου της αμερικάνικης πρεσβείας, στον τρίτο όροφο, όπου βρίσκεται το γραφείο του Αμερικανού πρέσβη.

Αν και κανένα ενδεχόμενο δεν μπορεί να αποκλειστεί, οι πρώτες ενδείξεις οδηγούν την αστυνομία να αποδώσει την ενέργεια στην οργάνωση Επαναστατικός Αγώνας, όπως αναφέρουν πληροφορίες.

Επί τόπου έσπευσε ο υπουργός Δημόσιας Τάξης Β.Πολύδωρας. Αναμένεται επίσημη ανακοίνωση για την έκρηξη από την αστυνομία.

Από το υπουργείο Εξωτερικών των ΗΠΑ ανακοινώθηκε ότι σημειώθηκε έκρηξη στην πρεσβεία, χωρίς τραυματισμούς, και πως η πρεσβεία θα παραμείνει κλειστή στη διάρκεια της ημέρας.

Η αστυνομία απέκλεισε τη λεωφ. Βασ.Σοφίας για περίπου τρεις ώρες, με αποτέλεσμα να δημιουργηθεί σοβαρό κυκλοφοριακό πρόβλημα στο κέντρο της Αθήνας. Η λεωφόρος αποδίδεται εκ νέου στην κυκλοφορία περίπου στις 09:00.

Η είδηση της έκρηξης στην αμερικάνικη πρεσβεία μεταδόθηκε με έκτακτα δελτία ειδήσεων από όλα τα διεθνή μέσα ενημέρωσης.

Υπενθυμίζεται ότι την Παρασκευή στην Αθήνα έρχεται ο αμερικανός διπλωμάτης και ειδικός απεσταλμένος του ΟΗΕ για την ΠΓΔΜ Μάθιου Νίμιτς.

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Σύμφωνα με τις πληροφορίες που μεταδίδουν ραδιοτηλεοπτικά μέσα ενημέρωσης, πρόκειται για επίθεση με ρουκέτα 2,36 ιντσών, αμερικανικής κατασκευής.

Να παρουμε το αμερικανικο το προιον για να ειμαστε σιγουροι για την αποτελεσματικοτητα.