Ex-police officer gunned down in Pallini, east of Athens

A 57-year-old former police officer was shot and killed in the early hours of Tuesday in what investigators believe was an attack prompted by a personal vendetta.

The former officer, who had served with the force’s elite EKAM counter-terrorism unit, was reportedly ambushed outside a taverna in the eastern Attica town of Pallini and shot several times. He tried to escape the gunfire by running back into the eatery, but died before help could arrive.

No additional details were released regarding the assailants or what type of weapon they used, but the Hellenic Police (ELAS) believes the attack was motivated by personal rather than professional differences.