Motorcycle attackers throw grenade at central Athens cafe in repeat incident
Two individuals on a motorcycle threw an unexploded grenade outside a cafe on Acharnon Street in central Athens early Monday, targeting the same business struck on 8 September.
Early morning attack on Acharnon Street
Emergency services were placed on alert before dawn on Monday after two unidentified individuals staged an attack on a commercial establishment on Acharnon Street in central Athens. Shortly after 4:30 in the morning, two riders travelling on a motorcycle approached the food-service business, located at 70 Acharnon Street in the Agios Panteleimonas neighbourhood. The cafe operates as a branch of a known coffee chain. According to police reports, the suspects hurled an object, assessed by initial examinations to be a hand grenade, toward the front of the shop. The device failed to explode upon hitting the ground outside the premises, and the two attackers fled the location on their motorcycle immediately after the throw. Initial reports from emergency responders confirmed that no people sustained injuries during the early morning assault.
Deployment of explosive ordnance disposal units
A coordinated security response followed the incident, bringing Hellenic Police units, fire department teams, and specialized technicians from the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Department (TEEM) to the scene. Bomb disposal specialists initiated an immediate inspection of the suspicious item lying outside the storefront, focusing on verifying the mechanism and collecting forensic material left behind by the perpetrators. Teams cordoned off the perimeter around the shop to isolate the unexploded ordnance and prevent any safety risks while the evaluation remained underway. Technicians and forensics teams worked on the pavement through the early hours to secure the device and prepare it for safe removal and laboratory examination.
- An attack strikes the Acharnon Street cafe, causing extensive material damage
- Two motorcycle riders throw an unexploded grenade outside the cafe
- TEEM bomb disposal experts secure the site and police close surrounding roads
Street closures and traffic diversions
To allow the TEEM explosive specialists to operate safely, police authorities closed several key roadways in the centre of Athens to all vehicular traffic. Traffic was halted along Acharnon Street between the junctions of Ioulianou Street and Heyden Street, with restrictions extending along sections connecting toward Ipeirou Street. Simultaneously, road closures were enacted on Feron Street beginning at the height of Fylis Street, while Ioulianou Street was blocked from the corner of Aristotelous Street onward. Police representatives announced that all vehicular diversions and pedestrian restrictions would stay in force for as long as the bomb squad needed to finish examining the object and clearing the surrounding street.
Repeat targeting and ongoing police investigation
Monday's incident represents the second time in less than a month that this specific catering establishment on Acharnon Street has become the target of an attack. The same cafe was previously struck on 8 September 2026, when an attack caused extensive material damage to the exterior and interior of the property. Police investigators are now scrutinizing evidence from both incidents side by side to determine if the two assaults are linked to the same perpetrators or motive. Officers at the scene have been collecting testimonies and taking formal statements from local residents and business owners. At the same time, detectives are reviewing closed-circuit security camera footage retrieved from businesses along Acharnon Street and neighbouring intersections to map the movement of the motorcycle, identify registration details, and determine the escape route chosen by the fleeing suspects.
