Letter bomb wounds former Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos

A file photo of ex-Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos (by AFP)

Former Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos sustained light wounds on Thursday after an envelope bomb blew up in his car in central Athens.

Papademos, 69, also a former central banker who held a senior role in the European Central Bank, sustained superficial wounds to his chest, abdomen, hands, and legs, and underwent surgery, said a statement by the Evangelismos hospital, where he was taken to following the explosion.

The Athens hospital said that Papademos’ “condition is stable and there is no reason for concern.”

The former prime minister’s driver and bodyguard also sustained minor wounds in the blast.

No group or individual has claimed responsibility for the attack, which was the worst act of violence targeting politicians in the crisis-hit country in several years.

“I unequivocally condemn the attack on Lucas Papademos. I wish a speedy recovery to him and the people accompanying him,” Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras tweeted from Brussels, where he was attending a NATO summit.

Opposition leaders have issued similar statements, condemning the act of violence. Many Greek politicians and public figures rushed to the hospital to check on Papademos’ condition.

Forensic experts search for evidence in and around the car of former Greek Prime Minister Lucas Papademos, in Athens, May 25, 2017. (Photo by AFP)

In the past, the “Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei” terrorist group has claimed responsibility for the dispatch of a series of booby-trapped envelopes to European leaders. The group is thought to have sent a batch of letter bombs addressed to European public figures and discovered by Greek authorities in March.

Police counter-terrorism squads have launched a full-scale investigation to find out how the letter bomb had passed security checks and reached Papademos.

Greek police are now concerned whether similar letter bombs have been sent to other politicians.

Papademos, a low-key economist who is more of a technocrat than a politician, served a brief stint as caretaker prime minister of Greece from late 2011 to mid-2012.