Three arrested over bombings of houses linked to Greek ruling party

Greek anti-terrorist police have arrested three people over a series of firebomb attacks on the homes of people linked to the ruling party, which left one woman dead in Thessaloniki last week, the Civil Protection Ministry said.

The 72-year-old mother of one of the ruling party's parliamentary candidates died of burns and four people were injured in one of three firebomb attacks in the northern city of Thessaloniki earlier this month, Reuters reports.

Unknown attackers left gas cylinders that were set on fire in front of three buildings. The first two attacks caused explosions that caused only material damage, while the third injured five people, including a woman who later died in hospital.

Police have linked the suspects, arrested today, to the third attack. They did not provide further details.

Two of the targeted buildings contained apartments inhabited by people associated with the ruling New Democracy party, while the third was owned by a local politician from that party, Reuters reports.

Greece has a decades-long history of bombings and arson attacks on politicians, although in recent years such incidents have mostly caused only material damage.