Video -document from internal security camera to kiosk of the center recorded the moment of the powerful explosion yesterday at 01:29 at night outside the Ministry of Labour, on Stadiou Street.

In the video, you can hear deafening noise at the moment the mechanism explodes, which was so powerful that it damaged several buildings while the blast reached the 6th floor of the ministry, breaking the windows.

The bomb was placed in a backpack hanging on a railing across from the Ministry of Labor in front of a bank branch, which is closed as it is undergoing renovations.

Two warning calls – Claim of responsibility by the emerging organization “Revolutionary Class Self-Defense”

The explosion was preceded by two warning phone calls from an unknown person to the Editors of the Newspaper. Initially, the unknown person warned that an explosive device had been placed outside the ministry and was going to be detonated in 40 minutes, but then he called again clarifying that the device had been placed across the street from the ministry at the bank branch.

In addition, the unknown person said that the organization “Revolutionary Class Self-Defense”, which appears for the first time, is taking responsibility.

According to the relevant announcement of ELAS, the Direct Action center was informed by the Editors’ Newspaper at 00:48. The police immediately cordoned off the area and proceeded to stop the traffic of vehicles on Stadiou street, from the height of Pesmatzoglou.

At the same time, a team from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Department rushed to the scene. The mechanism, as clarified by ELAS, exploded at 01:29, causing material damage.
As it became known from the Police, traffic on Stadiou Street was restored shortly after 9 am.

What police and counter-terrorism are investigating

Stadiou Street remained blocked throughout the night as ELAS pyrotechnicians swept the area to collect evidence.

The remains of the explosive device that were found were taken to the forensic laboratories.

The preliminary investigation into the case has been undertaken by the Anti-Terrorist Service (DAEEB), which has started and is gathering evidence from the cameras around the scene of the attack.

Police sources tell APE-MPE that it is still too early to assess the new organization, but any similarities in its actions with older organizations are being investigated.

It is recalled that a bomb was planted in a similar way in December 2016 outside the Ministry of Labour. For the mechanism that had been neutralized at the time, the organization “Group of People’s Fighters” had assumed responsibility.