Antiterrorism unit on alert for possible new hit

The Greek Antiterrorist unit is on alert after the attack at the New Democracy offices at dawn on Monday. The ballistic examination did not shed any light on the case as the two weapons used in the attack were "clean", i.e. they had not been used in other terrorist or criminal attacks.

As the investigation found, the perpetrators shot with a Kalashnikov and a Magnum 38 special. Officials are also considering the testimony of an eye witness, according to which one of the attackers held a rocket launcher which, for unknown reasons, he did not use.

With this information, and since no organization has claimed responsibility for the attack so far, police cannot reach any conclusions as to who is behind the attack.

Police are also checking the material from security cameras in the offices of New Democracy and businesses in the area.

Experts estimate that this hit is a display of power by a new generation of terrorists and was brought forward by the recent operations in occupied buildings such as Villa Amalia. Hellenic Police officials say there are fears about more attacks.

What has become known so far is that two men got off a car and after walking 50 meters they stopped, and from a distance of 70 meters, they started shooting at the neon sign of the New Democracy offices. The attack lasted only a few seconds and one of the Kalashnikov bullets reached the PM’s office, while a bullet from the revolver was found on the roof.

Based on the images recorded by both ND office and Traffic Police cameras, the perpetrators were in a private car, probably the burnt Toyota Corolla found in Paleo Faliro, which was driven by a third person. More emphasis is placed on eyewitness testimony that speaks of a car in which the perpetrators were riding and not of a motorcycle.

The unknown perpetrators knew about the existence of many cameras so they made sure to have their features well covered.

They are also dusting off all cases of organizations that had Kalashnikovs in their arsenal. Apart from the Revolutionary Struggle, which was dismantled, such weapons were used by the organization called “OPLA - Group Proletarian People's Self-Defense”, which attacked the police station in Agia Paraskevi in 2009, an by the Sect of Revolutionaries, who murdered journalist Sokratis Giolias. This does not mean anything as a Kalashnikov can be easily found, especially in Greece, and almost anyone can get it.