A 38-year-old woman was killed early Saturday morning in Thessaloniki, Northern Greece, when she was carrying a bomb that exploded in her hands, according to Greek authorities.

Fatal Bomb Explosion in Thessaloniki

Police said the woman was attempting to plant the explosive device near a bank ATM around 5 a.m. when it detonated.

"It appears that she was carrying an explosive device and planned to plant it [at] a bank's ATM," a senior police official told Reuters.

"Something went wrong and exploded in her hands," the official added.

The blast caused significant damage to nearby storefronts and vehicles, but no additional injuries were reported.

Woman Carrying a Bomb has Criminal Background

Authorities have not publicly identified the woman, but they noted she had a criminal record, including charges related to drug offenses, prostitution, robbery, and theft.

The Greek police’s organized crime division is leading the investigation, and authorities are also probing potential links between the woman and domestic extremist groups.

Greece’s History of Political Violence

Greece has long faced sporadic bombings and politically motivated attacks, often carried out by small-scale extremist groups.

While many of the more prominent groups active in the 1980s and 1990s have been dismantled, newer factions continue to emerge.

These groups typically target government offices, banks, and foreign interests, and while most incidents cause property damage, fatalities are rare.

In 2023, a man died while allegedly assembling a bomb in a central Athens apartment, and a woman present was severely injured. The intended target in that case remains unknown.

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Rise of New Extremist Groups

Earlier this year, a group calling itself Revolutionary Class Struggle claimed responsibility for a bombing near the Hellenic Train offices in Athens. They also claimed responsibility for planting another explosive device near the Labor Ministry in February.

The explosion near the train offices caused only limited structural damage, and no injuries occurred, thanks to an anonymous tip-off that allowed police to evacuate the area in time.

The group issued a statement declaring the attacks part of an “armed struggle against the state.”

National Tragedy and Public Outrage

The attack near Hellenic Train’s offices occurred just after the second anniversary of Greece’s worst railway disaster, which claimed 57 lives when a passenger and freight train collided.

The accident highlighted severe flaws in the country’s railway safety systems and triggered mass protests, especially from relatives of the victims, directed at the conservative government.

In the wake of the recent attacks, Citizen Protection Minister Michalis Chrisochoidis has warned of a resurgence in domestic extremism, raising concerns about public safety and the potential for more violent acts.

Sources:

• AP News – Woman Killed by Bomb in Greece 
• The Independent – Woman Carrying Bomb Killed in Greece