1973 Athens Hellinikon International Airport attack

yes Attack at Hellinikon International Airport Athens Attack on the Hellinikon International Airport in Athens Athens, Greece August 5, 1973 37.899 23.727 type:event_globe:earth_region:GR ti passengers at the Hellinikon International Airport guns and grenades attack, hostage-taking 53 died on the day of the attack while 2 more died in the following weeksHow Often Are Arab Terrorists Punished? Hardly Ever! https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1915&dat=19750122&id=A-wgAAAAIBAJ&pg=789,3264889 12 February 2014 The Day 22 January 1975 Staff writers Associated Press2 Arabs Face Athens Court, Plead Guilty https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1310&dat=19740124&id=KK5VAAAAIBAJ&sjid=P-ADAAAAIBAJ&pg=5861,5125476 2014-02-12 Eugene Register-Guard 24 January 1974 UPI Google News Archive 2A 93 107 en-US 55 Two Arab militants, members of the Black September The 1973 Hellinikon International Airport attack was an attack at the Hellinikon International Airport at Athens, Greece. The two attackers were members of the Palestinian militant organization Black September. The militants used sub-machine guns and grenades against the passengers waiting in the passenger lounge. The attackers took hostages before they finally surrendered to the Greek police. It is believed that the gunmen wanted to hijack a plane, but they decided to attack when they were about to be searched by a Greek security inspector before boarding.1973: Athens attack leaves three dead en bbc https://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/august/5/newsid_4533000/4533763.stm 2021-05-03 Background List of Black September attacks Palestinian political violence In December 1968, two Arabs made the El Al Flight 253 attack. The attackers had been arrested by the Greek authoritieshttp://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article262484294 Greece putting seven Arabs on trial The Australian Jewish News XXXVI 25 Victoria, Australia 27 February 1970 7 August 2021 26 National Library of Australia and said that their mission was to destroy an El Al's Boeing 707 plane and kill all the passengers.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article136963015 ATHENS INCIDENT Arabs attack Israeli jet The Canberra Times 43 12,193 Australian Capital Territory, Australia 27 December 1968 7 August 2021 1 National Library of Australia In August 1969, there was the TWA Flight 840 hijacking. In November 1969, two militants launched a grenade attack on the El Al offices at Athens destroying part of the offices, injuring 14 people and killing a two-year-old. They were arrested by the Greek authorities.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article107905814 EXPLOSION IN ATHENS INJURES 15 The Canberra Times 44 12,480 Australian Capital Territory, Australia 28 November 1969 7 August 2021 1 National Library of Australiahttp://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110333963 GREECE Two Arabs charged with boy's death The Canberra Times 44 12,683 Australian Capital Territory, Australia 25 July 1970 7 August 2021 4 National Library of Australia In December 1969 three other Arabs had been arrested by the Greek authorities before being able to hijack a TWA flight and they confessed that they were members of the Palestine Liberation Organization and arrived in Athens from Beirut for this mission. In 1970, six Arabs from the Palestinian Popular Struggle Front hijacked an Olympic Airways's Boeing 727 (Flight 255) on its way from Beirut to Athens, demanding the release of the seven Arab guerrillas held in Greek jail. After an International Red Cross plea for the lives of the hostages, the Greek authorities promised to release the seven Arabs in one month's time. After refueled, the hijackers released the passengers but held hostage the crew and a Red Cross representative and flew to Cairo.Athens Agrees to Free 7 After Arabs Seize Airliner - New York Timeshttp://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110333716 GREEK HIJACK Ultimatum to Arabs The Canberra Times 44 12,682 Australian Capital Territory, Australia 24 July 1970 7 August 2021 4 National Library of Australia In 1972 and 1973, Black September had done terrorist attack in different countries, including the Munich massacre at the 1972 Summer Olympics, the Israeli Bangkok Embassy hostage crisis, the Sabena Flight 571, the Attack on the Saudi embassy in Khartoum and the 1973 New York City bomb plot. In addition, in July 1973, an armed Palestinian with sub-machine gun, grenades and revolvers tried unsuccessfully to attack the Athens office of the El Al Israel Airlines. After his unsuccessful attack, he held 17 people hostages (including children) in a hotel nearby, threatening to kill them all including himself, and demanded a safe passage to the Middle East.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110738601 15 hostages held in Athens hotel The Canberra Times 47 13,492 Australian Capital Territory, Australia 20 July 1973 6 August 2021 1 National Library of Australia He was deported to Kuwait.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article263119641 GREEKS DEMAND DEATH FOR ARAB ASSASSINS The Australian Jewish Times 80 49 New South Wales, Australia 16 August 1973 6 August 2021 1 National Library of Australia Attack The two attackers, according to the Greek prosecutor, were: Shafik el Arid (22 years old) and Tallal Khantouran (21 or 22 years old), both from Jordan. They arrived in Athens the same day (5 August) from Beirut, Lebanon in order to make the attack. They had traveled to Athens previously on 3 August from Benghazi, Libya to survey the transit lounge.Athens Airport Terrorists Are Charged With Murde. - The New York Times Their orders were to attack Israel-bound passengers of any nationality travelling by any airline.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article263119641 GREEKS DEMAN DEATH FOR ARAB ASSASSINS The Australian Jewish Times 80 49 New South Wales, Australia 16 August 1973 6 August 2021 1 National Library of Australia The attackers opened fire and threw grenades into the crowd, killing three, injuring 55 (including five police officers), and destroying parts of the building. They then took 35 hostages and held them for more than two hours before surrendering to the police. Those killed were Jeannie Salandi, Elbert Kersen and Wolfgang Ullhofen. Salandi and Kersen were Americans while Ullhofen was Austrian.https://www.nytimes.com/1973/08/07/archives/2-arab-terrorists-in-athens-say-they-attacked-wrong-travelers-two.html 2 Arab Terrorists in Athens Say They Attacked Wrong Travelers The New York Times August 7, 1973 February 17, 2026 On August 16, another American, Laura Haack, died from injuries sustained in the attack.https://www.nytimes.com/1973/08/16/archives/girl-wounded-by-terrorists-in-athens-airport-attack-dies.html Girl Wounded by Terrorists In Athens Airport Attack Dies The New York Times The Associated Press August 7, 1973 February 17, 2026 On September 18, the fifth and final victim, Henry Leppo, also an American, died from his injuries.https://www.jta.org/archive/terrorist-attack-on-athens-airport-claims-another-victim-henry-leppo-24-dies-of-wounds Terrorist Attack on Athens Airport Claims Another Victim: Henry Leppo, 24, Dies of Wounds Jewish Telegraphic Agency September 18, 1973 February 17, 2026 Their target was a flight for Tel Aviv, but they made a mistake and attacked the passengers for a flight to New York. The Tel Aviv Airport security was tightened due to fear that a plane flying to Israel might be hijacked. It was relaxed when the terrorists were arrested by the Greek authorities and it was clear that the attack was over.Arabs Kill 3 and Wound 55 In Athens Airport Lounge - The New York Times Aftermath The Greek Government protested to Arab ambassadors and asked them "to cooperate in order to avert such actions in the future." Lufthansa plane hijacking In December, the capture of the killers from the Hellinikon airport attack led to the 1973 Rome airport attacks and hijacking. The hijackers demanded from the Greek government the release of the two terrorists. After failing to persuade the Greek authorities to release the terrorists, they limited their demands to permission for just refuelling and leaving.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article250473378 Hijackers kill 30 in airport bombing Papua New Guinea Post-courier International, Australia 19 December 1973 7 August 2021 7 National Library of Australia Court decision The Greek courts charged the killers with "premeditated homicide of a particularly odious nature, three counts; attempted homicide and grievous bodily injuries, 55 counts; considerable damage to foreign property and public utilities; illegal detention of persons; obstructing aerial communications and creating disorder in an airport, and illegal possession and use of weapons" and in January 1974 they were sentenced to death.2 Arabs Condemned - The New York Times Hostage Crisis in Pakistan In February 1974, three guerrillas armed with pistols, grenades and plastic bombs hijacked the Greek freighter Vori, holding Greeks as hostages at Karachi, Pakistan, and demanded the release of the attackers. They threatened to blow up the ship and kill the hostages, declaring that they were members of the Muslim International Guerrillas, a group which was active in the Philippines and Indonesia.Gunmen Free 2 Hostages On Greek Ship in Pakistan - The New York TimesGunmen Who Held Greek Ship Seek Libya Entry From Cairo - The New York Times Greek government asked Arab ambassadors to intervene.GUERRILLAS SEIZE GREEK FREIGHTER - The New York Times The Palestine Liberation Organization officials from the Karachi officehttp://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110759858 WORLD NEWS The Canberra Times 48 13,661 Australian Capital Territory, Australia 4 February 1974 7 August 2021 5 National Library of Australia and the ambassadors to Pakistan of Syria, Egypt and Lebanon went to meet the guerrillas in order to help with the negotiations.Pakistan: Armed Guerrillas On Hijacked Greek Freighter Negotiate With Arab Representatives 1974 - British Pathe The guerrillas eventually released the hostages, and in return the Greek government commuted the sentence of the Athens attackers from death to life imprisonment. One of the hostages said that the gunmen were under the impression that the terrorists in Athens would be released. After they released the hostages, the guerrillas, accompanied by the Libyan and Egyptian ambassadors, boarded a Pakistan International Airlines Boeing 707http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article250274218 GUERRILLAS FREE 2, FLY TO CAIRO Papua New Guinea Post-courier International, Australia 5 February 1974 7 August 2021 6 National Library of Australia and travelled to Egypt, whence they took another flight to Libya.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110760196 MIDDLE EAST Egypt, Israel adamant on Syrians The Canberra Times 48 13,663 Australian Capital Territory, Australia 6 February 1974 7 August 2021 5 National Library of Australia The guerrillas were wearing masks and dark glasses in order to hide their faces. Deportation to Libya In May 1974, the Greek government decided to deport the two terrorists to Libya. Israel protested saying that their release would encourage terrorism.http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article110777053 GREECE Arabs deported The Canberra Times 48 13,739 Australian Capital Territory, Australia 7 May 1974 7 August 2021 4 National Library of Australia Notes References Category:Black September Organization attacks Category:Hostage taking in Pakistan Category:Terrorist incidents in Greece in the 1970s Category:Terrorist incidents in Europe in 1973 Category:Palestinian terrorist incidents in Greece Category:1973 mass shootings in Europe Category:Terrorist attacks on airports in Europe Category:20th-century mass murders in Greece Category:1973 mass murders Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in 1973 Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in Greece Category:Mass shootings in Greece