The Hellenic Police’s Counter-Terrorism Service is continuing its intensive investigation to identify the perpetrators behind the coordinated triple attack targeting New Democracy officials in Thessaloniki during the early hours of 1 July.

The attacks ended in tragedy, with 72-year-old Vagia Nestora, the mother of New Democracy parliamentary candidate Aphrodite Nestora, losing her life. The other two targets were former New Democracy MP Savvas Anastasiadis and Zisis Ioakeimovits, President of the New Democracy Administrative Committee in Thessaloniki.

Suspects believed to be young

According to investigators, those responsible are believed to be young, although there is currently no indication that they are individuals already known to the authorities from the anti-establishment movement.

Information available to the authorities suggests that at least three people took part in the operation, although the number may ultimately prove to be higher. The suspects are believed to have used two motorcycles and managed to travel between the three targeted locations within approximately ten minutes.

As for the improvised incendiary devices used in the attacks, the same sources indicate that they were relatively simple in construction, apparently allowing the perpetrators to place and activate them within a short period of time.

“The number of perpetrators may exceed three”

Speaking on SKAI television this morning, Hellenic Police spokesperson Konstantia Dimoglidou provided an update on the investigation, stressing that the Counter-Terrorism Service is working discreetly and has already made significant progress.

“The Counter-Terrorism investigation is ongoing. The police have certainly established some initial findings. However, we must also wait for the results from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, which attended the scene and carried out a very thorough forensic examination. Remnants of the devices have been recovered. Our colleagues have managed to collect material, and we hope these remnants will provide us with valuable evidence,” Ms Dimoglidou said.

“Investigators are, of course, continuing to search for further evidence in order to identify the perpetrators, and we cannot rule out the possibility that additional individuals were involved. Although the initial assessment by police suggests that at least three people took part, that does not mean we are certain they were the only participants. Based on the time intervals between each attack and the distances separating the locations, investigators believe the same individuals were responsible for all three attacks. After all, the same type of incendiary device was used in each case,” she added.

She continued: “Police are examining a wide circle of suspects, and as more evidence is gathered, that circle is gradually narrowing until we identify the principal individuals involved. The perpetrators took steps to conceal both their identities and the characteristics of the vehicles they used. The vehicles have not yet been located, nor has it been established exactly how many vehicles were used or how many perpetrators were involved. The Counter-Terrorism Service is working discreetly and has made substantial progress in the investigation.”