Arrests for bomb attacks targeting Greek politicians

Greek counter-terrorism police arrested three people on Friday in connection with a series of firebomb attacks on conservative party politicians that killed one person and injured four others.

On July 1, the houses of members of Greece’s ruling conservative New Democracy party were targeted in pre-dawn bomb attacks in the northern city of Thessaloniki.

The 72-year-old mother of parliamentary candidate Afroditi Nestora lost her life when a crude bomb made with camping gas canisters exploded under her car parked at the entrance of Nestora’s apartment building.

Nestora herself suffered burns and remained hospitalized, but left the hospital briefly on Thursday to attend her mother’s funeral.

His father and two people living in the building were also injured.

On the same night, two attacks targeting other New Democracy party members caused damage, but no one was injured.

Greece has a long history of politically motivated violence dating back to the 1970s; Extremist groups within the country carry out small-scale bombings, often targeting symbols of power or the property of politicians, police or other authority figures.

While the groups that were most active in the 1980s and 1990s disbanded, new groups emerged.

Police said Friday they arrested a 29-year-old man in the northern city of Thessaloniki and a 26-year-old woman on the southern island of Crete on suspicion of their involvement in the bombing of Nestora’s home, and also arrested another man suspected of hiding the two in his home before and after the attack.

Police said they were still searching for others who may have been involved in the series of attacks.