Police bomb squad inspecting suspicious object left outside bank

A security alert was triggered on Thursday following the discovery of a suspicious item found behind an outdoor air conditioner unit of a bank in Tavros, a suburb in southwestern Athens.

The object, identified as a backpack, was found by a bank employee who alerted the police.

A bomb disposal unit has arrived in the area to determine the seriousness of the threat, police said.

Authorities have closed off traffic on Pireos Avenue near Makedonias, Hamosternas and Petrou Ralli Streets, resulting in traffic diversions in the surrounding area.