The U.S. State Department on Monday condemned the recent violence in Greece which targeted journalists and political parties.

"We obviously condemn the recent violence in Greece. We urge Greek citizens to exercise their right of protest peacefully," said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland at a daily briefing.

"There's never an excuse to resort to violence," she told the reporters.

There has recently been an increase of violence in Greece as the European country is struggling to deal with its acute debt crisis.

On Friday, a string of attacks targeting five Greek journalists occurred as homemade bombs of gas canisters went off outside their houses. An anarchist group claimed responsibility for the attacks, accusing media of representing "a corrupted political and financial system which has led to the current debt crisis."

On Monday, headquarters of the Greek ruling party of New Democracy were fired at by assault rifles. A bullet was later found inside the office of Prime Minister Antonis Samaras who is the head of the conservative New Democracy party.