Athens branch of Barclays damaged by bomb =============================== Bomb explosions damaged British and United States bank branches in Greece, but there were no injuries. The Revolutionary Cells terrorist group claimed responsibility for the explosions in telephone calls to the Athens daily Eleftherotypia. The first occurred 10.30pm (2030 GMT) in a sculpture studio in the northern Athens suburb of Marussi. Two other blasts came 45 and 50 minutes later across town at a Citibank and Barclays branch in the southern seaside suburb of Voula. The terrorist group's call to the newspaper came before the explosions. Police did not know why the sculpture studio was targeted by the anti-Western group that has carried out more than 13 bombings in the past three years. Its last attack was on October 14 when it tried to blow up the offices of former Merchant Marine Minister Stavros Soumakis. That device was destroyed by a controlled explosion. In its only fatal attack, Revolutionary Cells claimed responsibility for an April 1999 bombing of an American-owned hotel that killed a bystander. That attack was carried out to protest NATO air strikes against Yugoslavia. =================================================
