Guerilla group claims responsibility for bullets sent to Greek officials

A newly emerging guerilla group on Friday claimed responsibility for sending two envelopes containing bullets to the central bank of Greece's governor Yorgos Provopoulos and journalist Yannis Pretenteris. The threatening letters bore the signature of the "Popular Avengers", according to police investigating the case. In both cases the envelopes did not reach the offices of the recipients, the Bank of Greece and the private television channel Mega, as they were stopped after checks by metal detectors. Political parties strongly condemned the incident. The socialist PASOK which supports the ruling coalition denounced the attempt to "terrorize democracy." The main opposition radical left SYRIZA party rejected any attempts to "divert attention and create a climate of insecurity." Last year, Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras received a similar envelope with a bullet signed by the group "Cretan Revolution." Politicians, state officials, police officers, executives and journalists expressing pro-reform views have been regularly targeted by anarchist militant groups in Greece. Attacks have spiked amidst the debt crisis.