Greek woman, 38, killed after bomb intended for bank ATM explodes in her hands
The explosion happened in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki around 5 a.m., damaging several storefronts and vehicles as the bomb unexpectedly went off.
'It appears that she was carrying an explosive device and planned to plant it a bank's ATM,' a senior police official told Reuters.
'Something went wrong and exploded in her hands,' the official added.
Police did not identify the woman publicly, but made note of her criminal history fueled with drugs and prostitution.
She was also involved in at least one robbery, according to police.
Authorities are investigating the incident, and whether the woman might have had ties to extreme leftist groups.
Greece has a long history of politically motivated violence dating back to the 1970s, with domestic extremist groups carrying out small-scale bombings as well as new groups recently emerging.
Saturday's explosion comes a month after a new extremist group called Revolutionary Class Struggle claimed responsibility for an explosion near the offices of railway company Hellenic Train, and the planting of another bomb near the Labor Ministry in early February — all part of an armed struggle against the state.
With wires
Originally published as Greek woman, 38, killed after bomb intended for bank ATM explodes in her hands
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2 days ago
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Protesters in Serbia demolish ruling party offices
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