Mail bombs exploded in the hands of employees at the Swiss and Chilean embassies in Rome on Thursday, seriously wounding two people and triggering heightened security checks at diplomatic missions just as holiday deliveries deluge their mailrooms.

Italian investigators suspected the attacks were the work of anarchists, similar to the two-day wave of mail bombs that targeted several embassies in Athens last month — including those of Chile and Switzerland. One of last month's booby-trapped packages, addressed to Italian Premier Silvio Berlusconi, was intercepted in Italy.

Anarchists were also blamed by authorities last week for bloody clashes between protesters and police in Rome that marred otherwise peaceful demonstrations by students against a university reform law. The legislation received final approval in parliament Thursday.

For Thursday's twin embassy mail bombs, less than three hours apart, Italian investigators are pursuing the "trail of anarchists-insurrectionists," Interior Minister Roberto Maroni, whose ministry includes anti-terrorist police, told reporters. "Various elements lead us to think that this is the correct path."

"These are very violent groups that are also present in Spain and Greece and are very well connected," the minister said.

In Athens, Greek law enforcement officials said that Greek anti-terror police were contacted in the evening by Italian colleagues but that no link with the Greek parcel bombs was immediately apparent.