1973 Athens Hellinikon International Airport attack

Attack on the Hellinikon International Airport in Athens
LocationAthens, Greece
Coordinates37°53′56″N 23°43′37″E / 37.899°N 23.727°E / 37.899; 23.727
DateAugust 5, 1973
Targetpassengers at the Hellinikon International Airport
Attack type
guns and grenades attack, hostage-taking
Deaths3[1] or 5[2][3]
Injured55
PerpetratorsTwo 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.[1]

  1. ^ a b "1973: Athens attack leaves three dead". bbc. 2021-05-03.
  2. ^ Staff writers (22 January 1975). "How Often Are Arab Terrorists Punished? Hardly Ever!". The Day. Associated Press. Retrieved 12 February 2014.
  3. ^ "2 Arabs Face Athens Court, Plead Guilty". Eugene Register-Guard. Vol. 107, no. 93. UPI. 24 January 1974. p. 2A. Retrieved 2014-02-12 – via Google News Archive.