Terrorist strike against German ambassadorial residence

The police is on alert since 3.30 this morning, after persons unknown shot the residence of the German Ambassador to Athens, Wollfgang Dold, on Ethnikis Antistaseos street, in the area of Halandri.

According to data collected so far, 4 unknown persons riding motorcycles shot more than 60 times against the residence, using Kalashnikov assault rifles, without causing any damage or injuries. The police believe it is a terrorist attack.

ublic Order Minister Nikos Dendias held a phone conversation with the German Ambassador right after the incident.

Police said six people were briefly detained for questioning, but were released without charge.

Both Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras and the Minister of Public Order, Nikos Dendias, have spoken with German ambassador Wolfgang Dolt by phone following the incident.

Samaras also spoke on the phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

A foreign ministry statement has been released, condemning the attack.

"The Greek government expresses its outrage and outright condemnation of today's cowardly terrorist action, which had the only apparent objective of (damaging) Greece's image abroad," the statement said.

No one has so far claimed responsibility for the attack, but many Greeks blame Germany for the economic hardship to combat the country's debt crisis.

In a statement, Dold thanked police for its "swift response," and gave assurances that the incident would not affect German-Greek ties.

"To those responsible for this action, I state it will not affect the close and friendly relations between our two countries, and it will not reverse the country's economic recovery," he said.

In 1999, the German ambassador's residence was the target of a terrorist assault in which an anti-tank weapon was used. The underground Marxist group Revolutionary Organization 17 November claimed responsibility for that attack, in which no one was hurt.

The Anti-terrorism squad collected on the spot evidence and videos from the surveillance cameras that have recorded the incident on Ethnikis Antistaseos street.