July 21, 2003	Monday	Jumadi-ul-Awwal 20, 1424

NICE, July 20: Sixteen people were slightly wounded early on Sunday when two explosive devices were detonated near the entrance to the customs and financial administration building in the southern French city of Nice, officials said.

A spokesman for the alps and maritime department said the attacks were criminal acts but that no one immediately claimed responsibility for them. The bombs exploded one after the other in a short span of time around 2:30 a.m., the spokesman said.

Several cars and businesses were damaged and window panes in neighbouring buildings were shattered, he said. The injured, who were mostly suffering from cuts caused by shattered glass, were taken to a nearby hospital.—dpa