Greece: Unknown assailants open fire at Israeli embassy in Athens

Athens: Unidentified assailants opened fire on the Israeli embassy in Athens with a Kalashnikov assault rifle in the early hours of Friday, police said, but no injuries or damage were reported. Four people on two motorcycles fired shots at the embassy building in a northern suburb of Athens, a police official said. Bullets were lodged in the walls and 54 spent bullet cases were found about 40 metres (yards) from the building, police said. [caption id=“attachment_1660231” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representational Image. Reuters[/caption] The Greek government condemned the incident. “Any terrorist attack hitting at the heart of democracy hits the heart of the country,” government spokeswoman Sofia Voultepsi said. Police have cordoned off the area around the embassy, which has not been a target in other acts of violence in Greece in recent years as an economic crisis raises social and political tensions. Shots were also fired at the German ambassador’s residence in Athens last year. Bomb and arson attacks that cause little damage and rarely injure are common in Greece, which has a long history of far-leftist violence. Reuters