Greek Woman Dies After Handling Explosive Device: Police Report

A 38-year-old Greek woman was killed Saturday when a bomb she was allegedly planning to plant at a bank detonated in her hands, police said.

In Thessaloniki, a city in northern Greece, an unexpected explosion occurred at approximately 5 a.m., causing damage to multiple storefronts and vehicles.

“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.

The authorities haven’t disclosed the woman’s identity but highlighted her involvement in criminal activities, including drug offenses and prostitution. She is also suspected of participating in at least one robbery, as reported by the police.

Authorities are investigating the incident, and whether the woman might have had ties to extreme leftist groups.

Since the 1970s, Greece has experienced politically motivated violence, characterized by domestic extremist groups conducting small-scale bombings. Additionally, some new groups have recently started to emerge.

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