An IED placed in a box reportedly containing some yellow substance and a timing mechanism exploded outside the Church of Saint Dionysius The Areopagite located on the prestigious downtown Skoufa street at the area of Kolonaki, Athens Greece According to the priest of the church and bystanders a policeman was injured but there was no extensive damage in the area. There have been no claims of responsibility. According to various testimonies (see the posted videos) the incident must have been the explosion of some incendiary device which was triggered either by the first responder (reportedly a policeman) or by the timing mechanism. No significant glass fractures were reported close to ground zero, therefore the Arms Control Center converges to the conclusion that the IED must have been a low energy incendiary device placed close to one of the most prominent churches in Athens either by religious fanatics or by a radical terrorist group. According to the above testimonies the first responders tried to open or relocate the suspicious package and there was no evacuation of the area which raises an eyebrow about the handling of the incident and underlines once more the value of the Arms Control Center’s efforts to educate the public and the first responders about the rules and tactics of IED risk management and mitigation.


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