Oct 28, 2009, 6:24 GMT
Athens - A nationwide manhunt was launched on Wednesday after gunmen opened fire on a police station in the suburbs of the Greek capital, injuring six.
Four hooded gunmen opened fire with automatic rifles on the Agios Pareskevis police station in northern Athens late Tuesday, injuring six police officers, two of whom were in serious condition.
Reports said the gunmen fired at least 40 rounds at the police station before fleeing on motorcycles. Three of the motorcycles were discovered outside a metro station a short distance from the scene of the attack, reports said.
The wounded were rushed to hospital, where two of the officers who suffered gunshots to the stomach and chest were undergoing emergency surgery.
The other four were hospitalized with less serious wounds, while a civilian at the scene of the attack was treated for shock.
Hundreds of riot officers and anti-terrorist police could be seen throughout Athens and other parts of the country, stopping and searching vehicles as officials launched a nationwide manhunt.
The attack occurred after Greece's new Socialist government vowed to crack down on the criminal activities of self-styled anarchists and far-left militant groups.
'Tonight's attack against the police is murderous and an act of terrorism,' said Citizen's Protection Minister Michalis Chryssochoidis.
'I want to send a message to the terrorists, saying that they will not get away with this ... these cowardly killers will be caught and brought to justice.'
Police offered a reward of 600,000 euros (893,000 dollars) earlier Tuesday for information that could lead to the arrest of criminals believed to have links to domestic terrorism.
Greece has been plagued by frequent bombings and arson attacks targeting banks and multinational businesses since police shot a teenager in December 2008. The shooting sparked the worst riots the country has seen in decades.
No group claimed responsibility for the shooting, but the attack against the police station is similar to others carried out by Revolutionary Struggle, Greece's most-wanted terrorist group.
The left-wing group first emerged in 2003 after police broke up the November 17 group, best known for firing a rocket-propelled grenade into the US embassy in 2007 in Athens.
Revolutionary Struggle later claimed responsibility for the shooting of a police officer and a car bomb outside the Athens Stock Exchange. It has vowed to carry out future attacks against financial institutions, politicians and police.
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