Bomb blast ahead of Genoa summit

Italy has launched a massive security operation

The Italian interior minister has blamed extremists bent on causing disruption at the city's forthcoming G8 summit for a letter bomb which exploded in Genoa.

It was an extremely serious episode aimed at increasing the tension just before the G8 summit

Italian Interior Minister Claudio Scajola

The bomb exploded at a police station in the San Fruttuoso area of the city, undermining the authorities' efforts to ensure tight security ahead of the summit later this week.

The attack has been condemned by the protesters' umbrella group, Genoa Social Forum (GSF), but the radical Tute Bianche (White Overalls) group blamed security services for the rising tensions in the city.

George W Bush, Vladimir Putin and other world leaders will attend the economics summit from 20-22 July.

Provocation

"This was a cowardly attack coming from extreme elements... It was an extremely serious episode aimed at increasing the tension just before the G8 summit," said Interior Minister Claudio Scajola.

Because they are not able to respond to our positions, they try to sow terror in the hope of pushing us into a spiral of violence

Genoa Social Forum

"Whoever carried out this attack wanted to increase the tension and to make everything more difficult," he added.

A GSF spokesman agreed that the attack was deliberately provocative.

"Because they are not able to respond to our positions, they try to sow terror in the hope of pushing us into a spiral of violence," said Vittorio Agnoletto.

One police officer, Stefano Storri, 20, suffered first- and second-degree burns to his face and hands when he opened the package containing the bomb.

Surgeons are working to save the sight in one of his eyes.

Protesters have been preparing for a heavy police presence

The parcel arrived in the usual morning post and contained a woman's purse which exploded when the officer opened it.

The explosion could be heard in the neighbouring district and the police station building suffered extensive damage.

Police are questioning several suspects.

On Monday they also carried out a controlled explosion on a suspect van parked outside the police regional headquarters and on a bomb in the port area of the city.

"It's not a very good sign. Let's hope these remain isolated incidents," the city's police chief said.

Security zones

Genoa has imposed strict security measures ahead of the summit, which is expected to be the scene of violent demonstrations by anti-globalisation protesters.

The city has been divided into security zones with varying levels of restricted access.

Security concerns have led Italy to suspend the Schengen open-borders agreement, imposing strict controls on its borders with other EU countries. Usually people can pass from France and Austria into Italy without checks.

About 18,000 police and soldiers will be deployed and more than 150,000 Italian and foreign demonstrators are expected to converge on the city.

Their leaders say they want to break into the highest security area, stop the summit and "free the city" by non-violent means.