38-year-old dies after explosive detonates in her hands; anti-terror investigation underway
A 38-year-old woman was killed in the early hours of Saturday morning in Thessaloniki, Greece, when a bomb she was allegedly trying to place near an ATM exploded in her hands, Greek police confirmed.
The explosion occurred in a residential neighborhood in the city center, outside a building housing a local branch of a bank. Surveillance footage reviewed by authorities shows the woman carrying an improvised explosive device in a bag. After placing it near the ATM, she walked away but returned twice, seemingly checking why the device had not detonated. It was during the second return that the bomb went off, severing her hand and causing fatal injuries.
Emergency medical teams arrived on the scene immediately and provided first aid, but the woman died en route to the hospital due to the severity of her wounds.
The explosion caused extensive material damage, including shattered windows, damaged storefronts, and several parked vehicles. Debris from metal and glass littered the surrounding street and sidewalk, with the blast reverberating throughout the neighborhood.
Greek anti-terror and forensic units launched a thorough investigation, remaining on-site for several hours. Sources within the police stated that the deceased was already known to law enforcement, with a criminal record that included robbery, document forgery, prostitution, drug trafficking, and illegal weapons possession.
Authorities have opened a criminal investigation to determine whether she acted alone or was part of a broader extremist or criminal network.
