Scotland Yard helping Greece fight terror

ATHENS, Greece, March 16 (UPI) -- Britain's Scotland Yard has sent officials to Greece to help the country thwart an emerging terror threat in Athens, sources say.

Unidentified sources said the Scotland Yard officials were sent to Athens at the request of Greek Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis, who was responding to increased domestic terror and criminal actions in the Greek capital, Kathimerini said Monday.

Athens has seen an upsurge in violence since last December, when a teenager was killed by police in the capital's Exarchia neighborhood.

The British police officials are expected to help their Greek counterparts restructure Greece's counter-terrorism unit, while also offering advice on how to thwart the sudden increase in violence. The British delegation is expected to arrive sometime this week.

Among the officials being sent to Greece are Scotland Yard chief Ian Blair and Christos Kalamatianos.

Kathimerini said Scotland Yard officials in 2003 helped Greek authorities disband the militant group November 17.