Guns and explosives found in Athens flat, police say
ATHENS (Reuters) -Greek anti-terrorism police have found guns and explosives in a flat in central Athens, police said on Wednesday, weeks after a blast in an apartment in the capital killed a man and hurt a woman.
Police were alerted to the discovery by the flat's owner. The evidence was taken to a crime laboratory for analysis, a police official said.
The anti-terrorism unit is examining if the case is related to a bomb that went off as it was being made in an apartment on Oct. 31, an incident the unit has linked to a revival of anti-establishment guerrilla group activities.
Greece has a history of political violence by underground anarchist and leftist groups dating to the 1970s, targeting politicians, police, judges and diplomats. Attacks have eased in recent years.
A senior government official told Reuters the arms cache was probably an old hideout of an inactive urban guerrilla group and may not be directly linked to the recent bomb explosion.
So far, in connection with the earlier blast, four people face charges that include setting up and participating in a terrorist group and illegal possession of explosives. All have denied wrongdoing.
On Monday, police arrested a 31-year-old self-proclaimed anarchist after finding part of a fingerprint on a plastic bag. He will respond to charges on Friday.
"He denies the accusations, does not know any of the other defendants and has nothing to do with the blast," said his lawyer Nikolas Aletras.
A 31-year old suspect and a 30-year-old woman, a Swiss resident, have also been detained pending trial. The 33-year-old woman who was injured in the blast is also under arrest.
The original target of the bomb remains unknown.
Police have analysed CCTV footage and believe that the group, including the 36-year old man who was killed, had been planning an attack on the day of the blast.
(Reporting by Yannis Souliotis; Writing by Renee MaltezouEditing by Kate Mayberry, Angus MacSwan, Peter Graff)
