A Greek policeman has been seriously injured after being shot by two gunmen in central Athens.

The pre-dawn attack targeted an officer guarding the culture ministry.

Two men opened fire with a Kalashinikov AK-47 and a handgun hitting the 21-year-old officer in the chest and leg.

As they made their getaway the attackers hurled a Russian-made hand grenade to cover their escape.

The Greek interior minister said: “The people that carried out this attack targeted democracy. No bullet or murderer can hurt police morale.”

A huge manhunt is underway following the shooting, which police say bore the hallmarks of an assault on a police bus in December.

Greece has been hit by weeks of rioting and unrest after police fatally shot a teenager on December 6.

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