Small explosion outside French embassy in Athens, police say

Unidentified attackers on a motorcycle threw an explosive device at the French embassy in central Athens on Thursday, wounding a guard, police said.

"It was probably a hand grenade," one official told Reuters news agency. "The building was not damaged, only externally, on the pavement. One officer, who was at the spot, was slightly injured."

The attackers were riding a motorcycle, according to footage from security cameras, Reuters reported, citing another official.

The explosion was heard in central Athens.

There has been no claim of responsibility for the attack, which took place at 5am local time (4:00am CET), police said. The area around the French embassy, opposite parliament, was cordoned off by police.

Small-scale attacks on businesses, police, politicians and embassies are reportedly frequent in Greece, with its long history of political violence.