Explosion damages neo-Nazi offices in Greece

An unidentified caller telephoned a local newspaper 25 minutes before the blast, triggering the evacuation of the building area.

ATHENS, March 19, 2010 (AFP) - A bomb packed into a shoe box exploded on Friday outside the Athens office of a neo-Nazi group, causing significant property damage but no casualties, police said.

An unidentified caller telephoned a local newspaper 25 minutes before the blast, triggering the evacuation of the building, an adjoining hotel and the street outside, police said.

The neo-Nazi group's premises are in a downtown office block and the blast at 8:46 am (0646 GMT) was descibed by police as being of moderate power.

The bomb, on a timer device according to intial reports, was placed outside the offices of the group Chryssi Avghi on the fifth floor of the office block. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast.

Chryssi Avghi has been the target of accusations from the left that it carries out attacks on immigrants and anti-racist militants. The group has stepped up its activities in recent months, with rallies and protests in central Athens.

Citizens' Protection Minister Michalis Chryssohoidis has warned the group that the government would not tolerate any illegal activities and has called on law enforcement authorities to keep an eye on the group.

Home-made bomb attacks on public buildings or targeting politicians are a common event in Greece, often blamed by police on shadowy anarchist organisations or claimed by similar groups.