Anarchists suspected over blasts

Mail bombs exploded in the hands of employees at the Swiss and Chilean embassies in Rome, seriously injuring two people and triggering heightened security checks at diplomatic missions.

Italian investigators suspected Thursday’s attacks, less than three hours apart, were the work of anarchists, similar to the two-day wave of mail bombs which targeted several embassies in Athens last month – including those of Chile and Switzerland.

One of last month’s booby-trapped packages, addressed to Italian premier Silvio Berlusconi, was intercepted in Italy.

Italian news agency Ansa reported that a claim by anarchists was found in a small box near one of the wounded employees and was being examined by anti-terror police.

Anti-terrorism police at Rome police headquarters refused to comment on the claim, which Ansa said was made by a group called the Informal Anarchist Federation, or FAI. “Long live FAI, long live anarchy,” the claim reportedly said.

Anarchists were blamed by authorities last week for bloody clashes between protesters and police in Rome which marred otherwise peaceful demonstrations by students against a university reform law. The legislation received final approval in parliament yesterday.

Italian investigators were pursuing the “trail of anarchists-insurrectionists”, interior minister Roberto Maroni, whose ministry includes anti-terrorist police, said.

Swiss ambassador Bernardino Regazzoni, speaking to reporters outside his embassy, said the device which exploded had been posted, but he did not say from where.

The bomb at the Chilean embassy was sent from inside Italy, Ansa reported. But Chilean ambassador Oscar Godoy said it was not yet clear if the package – a medium-sized envelope big enough to hold documents and addressed to the cultural attache – had been posted or delivered by a messenger.

Surgeons removed an iron bolt which had embedded itself in the chest of the Chilean embassy employee who opened the package, said Massimiliano Talucci, a spokesman for Umberto I Polyclinic, where the man was admitted for treatment. The Chilean also suffered a serious hand wound and face injuries, and risks losing the sight in one eye. The Swiss official suffered hand and chest wounds.