On the 27th of December, a homemade bomb exploded in front of an orthodox church in the quarter of Kolonaki, in Athens, injuring a police officer and the caretaker of the church. On Saturday, the 19th of January, a group called “Iconoclast Sect” accepted responsibility for the explosion and threatened to commit similar actions.

It was the first time that this group had come to the attention of the police. Their claim, sent by text message,  is now being examined by the anti-terrorist unit. The group defined itself as an “association of individuals with a tendency towards carrying out wild acts” and added that they support those who fight against the US and Europe. They threatened that: “this act was just the beginning, our hands will not stop when the time arrives.”

In past years, attacks against public institutions, banks or diplomatic embassies have been committed on a regular basis in Greece. They are usually ascribed to extreme-leftist or anarchist groups. For example, on the 17th of December, a bomb was detonated in front of the building of  ‘Skai’ TV station in Athens. On this occasion nobody was injured but police are attributing the attack to the extreme-leftist ‘Group of People’s Fighters’(OLA) who have already committed at least five similar attacks since 2013.

Source: ReligionenLibertad