According to television reports, two unidentified men carrying heavy weaponry, opened fire, with Kalishnakov guns, at the headquarters of the New Democracy party on Syggroy Avenue early on Monday morning. According to television and radio reports, the assailants even targeted the office of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.
Police officials have set up road blocks in the area and from what we know Greece's counter terrorism unit is at the scene to conduct a thorough investigation.
Television reports said that at least two people were involved in this terrorist attack. MEGA channel said that the sniper used a Kalashnikov rifle, while his assistant picked up the fired bullets. Reports on other news services are claiming that there are more people involved.
Interestingly, a report on defencenet said that the culprits used a car which was apparently located at about 7:30 am in the area of Paleo Faliro after being set ablaze.
Greece's counter terrorism unit will now review all the evidence at hand, including the tapes from the security cameras in the area.
Mr. Samaras was quickly briefed by officials on the attack, and party general secretary Manolis Kefaloyiannis is also at the scene.
Later on Monday the parliamentary parties condemned the early-morning attack before beginning a debate on an omnibus bill containing several Legislative Acts that are "prior actions" for the disbursement of January's installment of the EU/IMF bailout loan to Greece.
Nonetheless, ND parliamentary spokesman MP Makis Voridis said that the conservative party will continue on its own course, effort and contribution to democracy. "No terrorist act can intimidate us, and our effort to restore law and order will continue unobstructed." He said that ND expects similar statements of condemnation of violence and terrorism from the entire political world, so that the unanimity of all the political forces in the condemnation of such phenomena may be shown.
SYRIZA parliamentary spokesman Panayiotis Lafazanis said that his party "unequivocally condemns these actions, which undermine democracy and the country's course. This is SYRIZA's steadfast position which it adheres to not only in words but also in actions, raising a wall against such phenomena."
PASOK parliamentary spokesman Mihalis Chryssohoidis said, that once again "some decided, with armed action, to strike a blow against democracy. We unequivocally condemn the fact that certain sides come tine and again with such actions." At the same time he noted that Greece is now the only European country to have such phenomena, which strike a blow at the heart of the country, in other words at investments and social tranquility.
"It is self-evident, and our duty, to condemn any attack, the more so against a parliamentary party," said Independent Greeks parliamentary spokesman Terrence Quick, adding that a continuity of coincidences needs to also be debated. He said that the Greek parliament has a heavy program beginning with the Villa Amalia affair, the fire-bomb attacks on journalists' homes, the fire-bomb attack on the home of government spokesman Simos Kedikoglou's brother, and Monday's attack against the ND headquarters.
On its part, the ultra-right Golden Dawn opined that the three-party government "benefits from the bizarre violence of the past few days". Parliamentary spokesman Christos Pappas noted that his party condemns all forms of violence "because it has known first-hand what violence means, with tens of bomb and murderous attacks against its cadres".
Democratic Left (DIMAR) parliamentary spokesman Nikos Tsoukalis called the recent escalation of violence "an extremely worrisome phenomenon", while he added that "a verbal condemnation does not suffice, but rather an integrated plan is needed and it is the duty of all the political forces to resoundingly state their determination to comprise the democratic political arch against this phenomenon".
And finally the Communist Party of Greece's (KKE) said that the attack is self-evident. KKE parliamentary spokesman Thanassis Pafilis noted that "what is happening, objectively, is a disorientation of the people". He added that, especially, the attack on the ND is more complex with regard to both the purpose and the symbolism.
MEGA Channel Report About The Shooting
Video showing the bullets fired inside the office of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras
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