Explosive device detonates outside church in Athens

A homemade explosive device has detonated outside a church in Athens on Thursday morning, wounding a police officer and a civilian.

The blast occurred outside the Saint Dionysios church around 7am, before service was about to commence.

The church is located in the suburb of Kolonaki, which borders Exarchia, an area where clashes between police and anarchists or far-left groups are common.

The injuries of the police officer and civilian are not life threatening.

The police official, who asked not to be identified, told Reuters that "the police officer spotted a box outside the entrance of the church and thought it was strange. The blast was not powerful, the officer was injured in the face and hands."

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

This comes ten days after the explosion of another homemade bomb outside the headquarters of Skai. The powerful blast caused major damage and there were no claims of responsibility.