Attack on café on Acharnon Street: Grenade thrown

Vehicle traffic in the Agios Panteleimonas area is now flowing normally, according to a latest update from the police.

Earlier, traffic restrictions had been imposed on Acharnon Street and Ioulianou Street following a grenade attack on a café located on Acharnon Street.

More specifically, at around 4:25 a.m., two unidentified assailants riding a motorcycle threw a defensive-type hand grenade into the establishment. The grenade, however, did not explode.

It was safely removed during an operation carried out by a team from the Hellenic Police Explosive Ordnance Disposal Department.

It is noted that the same café had been targeted in a similar attack on September 8.

The Directorate for Combating Organised Crime has taken over the investigation.

Dimoglidou on the arson attack on Acharnon Street: Authorities examining whether the establishment was the target

Hellenic Police spokesperson Konstantia Dimoglidou referred to the attack while speaking to ERTnews. As she said, authorities are examining, among other things, whether the specific establishment was the intended target of the latest attack, given that it had also been targeted by unknown assailants on September 8.

Ms Dimoglidou said that a team from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Department (TEEM) was dispatched to the scene immediately, while the relevant Army unit was also notified in order to collect the material that had been found.

At the same time, the investigation has been assigned to the relevant Hellenic Police services, including the Directorate for Combating Organised Crime and the Athens Sub-Directorate for the Prosecution and Investigation of Crimes.

As the Hellenic Police spokesperson clarified, following the previous incident, the owners had not filed any complaint regarding threats or extortion.

Ms Dimoglidou stressed the importance of business owners informing the authorities in cases where a threat or attempted extortion has preceded such incidents.

Regarding the previous attack, she said that a case file had been opened by the Directorate for Combating Organised Crime, while the Extortion Department had taken over the investigation. The same department will also investigate the latest case.

Referring to the arson attack on another establishment in Nea Ionia last week, which caused a major fire and put residents of the apartment building at risk, Ms Dimoglidou said that authorities are also carefully examining the circumstances of that attack.

According to her, no information has emerged so far indicating extortion or threats against that particular establishment. Authorities are also examining whether the incident could be linked to a previous attack, although, as she clarified, the business had a different ownership structure and was not owned by the same person.