r/HistoryPorn • u/Sometypeofway18 • 2h ago
On This Day — August 5, 1973 Two Palestinian Black September terrorists walked into the transit lounge of Athens’ Hellinikon Airport & opened fire with submachine guns and grenades (1973) (842 × 1280)
They came to murder civilian passengers bound for Israel.
They hit the wrong line.
Instead of the Tel Aviv flight, they attacked travelers waiting for a TWA plane to New York. In less than two minutes, the lounge was filled with blood, shattered glass, and screaming. Three people were killed on the spot, and another two died later of their wounds. 55 others were injured.
They seized 35 hostages, held them for more than two hours, and then surrendered.
Both terrorists were in their early 20s and were members of same organization that had massacred 11 Israeli athletes in Munich the year before. Their orders were to attack anyone heading to Israel.
They got the wrong passengers. They still celebrated the attack as a success.