Citibank bombed in Argentina

Police say the man, a security guard, died of injuries received when a bomb exploded at a branch of the US-based Citibank group.

Another Citibank branch was targeted in a separate blast, while a third hit a branch of Argentine bank Banco Galicia.

Federal police said the bombs were not big enough to cause major destruction.

Shattered windows

They said the bombs appeared to be home-made devices.

The 38-year-old guard was fatally injured when he picked up a suspicious package at about 0900 local time (1200 GMT) at Citibank's branch in the Caballito district, Agence France Presse said.

At least one more device was deactivated there by police.

"There were two artefacts - just one exploded. The second one must have been detonated by the fire squad," police chief Francisco Santos Miglino said.

A police officer was injured when a separate bomb went off outside a second Citibank branch in the Barrio Norte district.

The Banco Galicia branch targeted was in the same district of the Argentine capital.

Officials said the explosions had shattered windows and caused damage to the banks' facades.

It was not clear who was responsible for the bombs but the BBC's Elliott Gotkine says banks are widely hated in Argentina.

The country's economic crisis three years ago led to many people losing large amounts of their savings.

A similar incident occurred in August when small bombs were set off in the city to coincide with a visit from the International Monetary Fund's director, Rodrigo de Rato.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4019947.stm