Bomb attacks

Greek police suspect leftist or anarchist groups were responsible for the early morning attack on the Athens stock exchange that left one woman slightly injured. The woman was on her way to work and was hit by flying glass from the blast.

The homemade bomb was planted in a van next to the bourse. It caused damage to the building and destroyed at least eight cars parked nearby. Despite the attack, it was business as usual at the Athens stock exchange, which is linked to the exchange in Nicosia.

"Despite the massive material damage, the Athens and Cyprus markets will operate normally," bourse chairman Spyros Kapralos said.

No immediate link between two attacks

At around the same time, another bomb caused minor damage to a ministry building in the northern port city of Thessaloniki. Two separate Greek media outlets received anonymous calls warning of the blasts, but it is still unclear if the attacks were connected.

The two bomb blasts are the latest in a series of attacks on business and police targets that have occurred across Greece since the end of last year. In December 2008, police shot and killed a teenager, which ignited riots across the country. Police believe the attacks since then have been carried out by left-wing militants.

"All evidence shows it was a terrorist attack," said Greek police spokesman Panayiotis Stathis, referring to Wednesday's blasts in Athens and Thessaloniki. "We have no claim of responsibility yet."

Police say the make-up of the bomb at the Athens stock exchange fits the profile of a group called "Revolutionary Struggle." The group is best known for attacking a United States embassy in Athens in 2007.

mz/AP/Reuters/AFP
Editor: Nancy Isenson