Athens News Agency: News in English, 09-06-17

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From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/>

CONTENTS

[01] Archbishop Ieronymos to visit Alexandria Patriarchate

[02] Athens con'f on Byzantine studies

[03] Policeman shot dead

[01] Archbishop Ieronymos to visit Alexandria Patriarchate

According to the Church of Greece's Holy Synod, on Saturday Ieronymos will visit the Aghios (St.) Georgios Cathedral in Cairo and afterwards he will leave for Alexandria.

On Monday, the Archbishop and the members of his entourage will tour Alexandria's state-of-the-art library and the Aghios Savvas Monastery.

[02] Athens con'f on Byzantine studies

The three-day event is the second of a cycle of congresses with the overall title "Greece in the World" www.elladastonkosmo.gr which was inaugurated by Athens Mayor Nikitas Kaklamanis.

The objective of this congresses, organised in collaboration by Athens' cultural organisation and the Athens Concert Hall, is the projection and outlining of scientific work that takes place all over the world on behalf of Greece.

[03] Policeman shot dead

The three gunmen, later identified with a shadowy terror gang blamed for at least two recent shooting attacks, riddled the police officer with bullets at 6:20 a.m. in the densely populated Athens district of Ano Patissia. They fled the scene on foot and escaped aboard two high-powered motorcycles, along with an accomplice.

During a press conference at police headquarters in the early afternoon, a spokesman said the "Revolutionaries Sect" was responsible for the deadly attack. The same group had been blamed for an attack on a Piraeus-area (Korydallos) police precinct in February 2009 and on a television station (Alter) the same month. No one was injured in either of the two February terrorist strikes.

According to later reports, at least 24 cartridges -- 9mm diameter -- were collected from the scene. Police spokesman Panagiotis Stathis said that ballistics tests carried out on the cartridges showed that two guns had been involved, with nine cartridges fired from a weapon also used in previous hits attributed to 'Revolutionaries Sect'.

The police spokesman also appealed to witnesses to come forward with any bit of information relating to the attack, however small.

The victim was identified as police sergeant Antonios Nektarios Savvas, married and the father of a young girl, who was serving in the counter-terrorism unit's operations division.

Savvas was guarding a key witness in the trial of several defendants accused of involvement with the now defunct "Revolutionary Popular Struggle" (ELA) urban guerrilla group, the ex-wife of one of the defendants.

He went on duty at 6 a.m., taking over from the two colleagues who completed an early morning shift outside the home of the woman. The latter had testified as a material witness at the ELA trial three days earlier.

The officer had gotten a cup of coffee and took his place in the driver's seat of the vehicle when, according to eyewitnesses, the gunmen approached the car and fired more than 20 rounds, fatally injuring him in the chest and head.

Local residents said they knew who the woman was, and saw police guarding her, while they also said she frequently circulated alone.

A local medical examiner said the officer suffered multiple gunshot wounds to his left side, including a wound to the head, from very close range. He said the victim died instantly. Savvas' service revolver was still in his belt, police said. A later autopsy report said there were 12 entry wounds on his body where bullets had hit the unlucky officer.

Caption: Counter terrorism police officers collecting evidence from the crime scene in Athens on Wednesday 17 June 2009. ANA-MPA/SYMELA PANTZARTZI

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