Conspiracy of Fire Nuclei

An investigating magistrate probing the activities of the leftist guerrilla group Conspiracy of the Cells of Fire on Thursday gave three alleged members of the group additional time, until March 7, to prepare their defense on charges of membership of a terrorist organization.

The guerrilla organization Group of Popular Fighters has claimed responsibility for a shooting attack on the Israeli Embassy in Athens in December, the police said on Wednesday after collecting a memory stick with the group?s proclamation from a trash bin in Nea Smyrni.

Police sources on Wednesday expressed certainty that convicted November 17 terrorist Christodoulos Xeros, who was arrested last weekend in Anavyssos, southeast of Athens, and his alleged accomplices had maintained a third hideout, possibly in the Greek capital.

Police on Tuesday found equipment that could be used to construct 100 bombs at a second hideout allegedly used by Christodoulos Xeros, the November 17 terrorist who was arrested on Saturday after 12 months on the run from authorities.

An Athens court has turned down a request by anarchist and convicted bank robber Nikos Romanos for a furlough to study at a technical college.

Romanos, 21, has been on hunger strike since November 10 after authorities rejected his application for an educational leave since he passed a university entry exam earlier this year. He is currently hospitalized at an Athens clinic.

Twelve people were arrested and 31 briefly detained late Tuesday after a protest march in support of anarchist and convicted robber Nikos Romanos, in central Athens, erupted into violence, police said.

Education Minister Andreas Loverdos has declared himself in favor of prisoners being allowed to study as anarchist and convicted bank robber Nikos Romanos enters a fourth week of hunger strike in protest at being prevented from being granted leave to study at a technical college.

Police in Dimitsana, in Arcadia in the Peloponnese, on Thursday arrested Stella Antoniou, who is facing charges of involvement in the urban guerilla group Conspiracy of the Cells of Fire, for failing to comply with her bail conditions. Antoniou had been arrested over similar charges in the northern port city of Thessaloniki in July.

An Athens court on Wednesday handed prison sentences ranging from 15 to 16 years to six men found guilty of carrying out a double armed robbery on a bank and a post office in Velvento, northern Greece, in February 2013, but cleared them of suspected links to urban guerrilla group Conspiracy of the Cells of Fire.

Police found a Kalashnikov assault rifle, a handgun, a hand grenade and numerous bullets Wednesday while searching homes in Athens and Thessaloniki used by six people who were detained and are linked to bank robberies and possibly terrorist activity.