Greek anarchist group claims responsibility for parcel bombs

ATHENS - A Greek anarchist group claimed responsibility Thursday for more than a dozen parcel bombs sent to European leaders and embassies causing widespread alarm earlier this month, reports said.

In a 13-page proclamation the group, Conspiracy of Cells, claimed responsibility for parcel bombs sent to eight embassies in the Greek capital as well as parcel bombs sent to President Nicholas Sarkozy of France, Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, German Chancellor Angela Merkel and the International Court of Justice in The Hague.

In total, 14 parcel bombs shaped into books were sent in the first week of November with the group saying that nothing will stand in their way of carrying out revolution and armed violence.

Two members of the group were detained hours after the first booby-trapped parcel, addressed to the Mexican Embassy in Athens, exploded in a port office.

The group first emerged in 2008 with a string of arson and bombs attacks against government buildings and the offices of politicians.

European Union interior ministers agreed to look at ways to tighten air cargo security following recent discoveries of EU-bound parcel bombs originating from Yemen and Greece.