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Bomb explodes outside Greek court, no casualties

The explosion occurred at 0125 GMT outside the Athens appeals court after calls warning of a bomb had been made to the media, police said.

The blast broke several windows in the court facade and at nearby buildings.

The bomb was inside a backpack left at the building entrance by two men who fled in a small van, a police source told AFP.

It had earlier been reported that a motorbike was used.

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The police source said that the assailants had also fired at the guard to stop him from pursuing.

Police later found a torched van a few blocks from the scene. A bullet casing has also been recovered from near the courthouse.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Police suspect a far-left group calling itself Popular Fighters Squad, which has carried out shooting attacks against the Israeli embassy in 2014 and the German ambassador's residence in 2013. In 2015, they exploded a bomb outside the Greek Federation of Enterprises, the country's top industrial lobby.

The incident occurred amid a bitter row over foreclosures of properties over longstanding debts to Greek banks.

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The government has tabled new legislation, hardening rules against anti-foreclosure protesters.

Foreclosures are now increasingly being held online after successive protests blocked property auctions, prompting Greek notaries to repeatedly go on strike to protest a lack of state protection.

Greek banks are burdened by around 100 billion euros ($119 billion) in non-performing loan exposures -- about half of overall lending -- and the issue has repeatedly been highlighted by the European Central Bank.

The notaries insist that family homes are protected under a 2010 law that is annually renewed, and that the anti-foreclosure protests have mainly aided wealthy debtors playing the system to their advantage.

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