Five Injured as Homes Linked to Greek Governing Party Attacked in Thessaloniki
Details of the Thessaloniki Attacks
Overview of the Incident
ATHENS, July 1 (Reuters) - Attackers firebombed three residential buildings linked to Greece's governing party in the northern city of Thessaloniki before dawn on Wednesday, wounding five people including a candidate for parliament, police said.
Victims of the Attack
The parliamentary candidate from the governing centre-right New Democracy party and her mother both suffered burns, a police official said.
Method and Sequence of Attacks
The unknown assailants left gas canisters that had been set on fire outside the three buildings during the hour before 5:00 a.m. The first two attacks led to blasts that caused only material damage, while the third wounded five people and damaged two cars and two motorcycles, one of the officials said.
Targets and Damage
Two of the targeted buildings included apartments housing New Democracy figures, while the third was owned by a local politician from the party.
Response and Context
Claim of Responsibility and Historical Context
There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the attacks. Greece has a decades-long history of bomb and arson attacks on politicians, although in recent years such incidents have tended to cause only material damage.
Government and Party Reaction
New Democracy and government spokesman Pavlos Marinakis condemned Wednesday's attacks and said the government was determined to crack down on such violence.
(Reporting by Yannis Souliotis Writing by Renee MaltezouEditing by Peter Graff)
