Large car bomb discovered in Athens

Authorities in Athens reported that in the early morning hours of 18 February 2009 they discovered a car bomb that had failed to explode sitting in the parking lot outside the Citibank headquarters in the suburb of Kifissia. The homemade device was constructed from five propane gas canisters that were filled with explosives. It was discovered after a security guard reported the abandoned vehicle to local police officers. Officers removed the explosives from the scene and detonated them in a secure location. The discovery followed an incident in which unidentified men fired shots and threw an explosive device near a local television station in southwestern Athens on the evening of 17 February. There were no injuries in either incident. There have been no claims of responsibility in either incident. However, both are suspected of being tied to local militant groups that have staged attacks since the December 2008 shooting of a teenager that prompted riots countrywide; reports have mentioned both the Rebels Sect and the Revolutionary Struggle.