A bomb exploded outside an Athens court on Thursday, causing damage but no injuries nearly two weeks before the trial of anarchists linked to a parcel bomb campaign targeting embassies and foreign leaders. The blast smashed windows at the administrative court complex and at neighbouring buildings, mangling several vehicles parked outside and hurling debris over a wide area. Police had evacuated the area following a phone tipoff that revealed the license plate of a stolen motorcycle carrying the bomb, a police source said.
Earlier on Thursday, television footage showed flames and smoke billowing in front of the court in the district of Ambelokipi near the city centre shortly after the device detonated at 8:20 am. Early information indicated that the device was probably a time bomb containing industrial-grade explosives given the strength of the blast, the police said.