Suspected leftist guerrillas fired a rocket at the US embassy in Athens today but no one was hurt in the blast, police and government officials said.
In the most serious attack against the mission in 10 years, the small rocket launched from across the street shattered windows and woke up nearby residents in the central Athens area at 5:58am.
"There are one or two anonymous phone calls which claim that the Revolutionary Struggle was behind the attack," Public Order Minister Byron Polydoras told reporters outside the embassy. "Most likely, it is an act by local perpetrators."
The leftist guerrilla group has emerged as the most serious domestic threat since the dismantling of the deadly November 17 group in 2002. It claimed an assassination attempt against Greece's culture minister in May and a bomb at the Economy
Ministry which wounded two people and damaged buildings 13 months ago.
"I am treating this as a very serious attack," US ambassador to Athens, Charles Ries, told reporters outside the mission. "The embassy was attacked in a senseless act of violence. There were no injuries."
Police said the 2.65 mm, east European-made rocket landed inside a toilet on the third floor, slightly damaging the glass facade and ceiling. No launcher has been found.