Global General

Special

Newsmaker

Asia Pacific

America

Middle East

Europe

Africa

Greek terror group claims Citibank attacks

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-03-12 16:23

ATHENS, Greece -- A far-left Greek militant group claimed responsibility for recent attacks against Citibank offices in Athens, saying they were carried out because of the international financial crisis, a newspaper reported Thursday.

A police investigator inspects the area outside a damaged Citibank branch in the Nea Ionia district, northern Athens March 9, 2009. A home-made bomb exploded outside a Citibank branch in the Greek capital causing minor damage and no injuries, police said on Monday. [Agencies]

The weekly Pontiki newspaper published a statement from the Revolutionary Struggle group, which claimed responsibility for a failed car bomb attack on Citibank offices in Athens on Feb. 18 as well as a bomb attack Monday on a suburban Citibank branch that caused damage but no injuries.

Authorities did not immediately comment on the statement or its authenticity, but the newspaper has been used by the militant group in the past to publish proclamations.

In the Feb. 18 attack, a stolen car was found packed with explosives outside Citibank offices north of the Greek capital. But the time-bomb -- considered powerful enough to destroy the four-story building -- failed to detonate.

The militant group, in the statement, argued the American bank is part of a "criminal network of international capital" responsible for the financial crisis.

It said it had tried to warn authorities of the car bomb attack to avoid casualties by telephoning a newspaper. Police did not say they received any warning.

Greece considers Revolutionary Struggle to be a terrorist organization following a series of attacks including the firing of a rocket-propelled grenade into the US Embassy in Athens in 2007.

The US government is offering a reward of $1 million for information on that attack that will lead to the arrest of Revolutionary Struggle members.