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Greece recaptures fugitive terrorist after four years

Xinhua, January 6, 2017 Adjust font size:

Greek police announced on Thursday the arrest of Panagiota (Paula) Roupa, a fugitive convicted member of terrorist group the Revolutionary Struggle, after she was four years at large.

"In the morning hours today, January 5, 2017, was arrested during a counter-terrorism unit the 48-year-old Panagiota Roupa, wanted for terrorism," Greek police spokesperson Theodore Chronopoulos said during a press briefing at the Public Order ministry.

Roupa, one of Greece's most wanted terrorists, was arrested in an apartment in the Athens southern suburb Aghios Dimitrios where she was living with her six-year-old son.

A 25-year-old woman was also detained during Thursday's operation, according to the police. She is believed to have helped Roupa hide out.

The Revolutionary Struggle has been linked since 2003 to a series of bomb attacks against political, police and financial targets, including a rocket attack at the U.S. Embassy in Athens in 2007 and a strong bomb blast at the Athens Stock Exchange in 2009.

Roupa was first arrested with her partner and leading member of the guerilla group, Nikos Maziotis, in 2010. She gave birth to their son under police custody.

They were released on conditions until they face justice.

But the couple went missing in July, 2012. The Greek state offered a million-euro reward for any information which could lead to their arrest.

Maziotis was arrested in the summer of 2014 after a failed robbery in central Athens.

Roupa continued carrying out attacks, including armed robberies and an attempt to free Maziotis by helicopter from the maximum security prison of Korydallos at Piraeus on February 2016. The plan failed when the pilot of the hijacked helicopter resisted at Roupa's gunpoint, according to the police.

After the arrest, Roupa's sister told media outside the police headquarters that Roupa had asked authorities to immediately hand over her son to his grandmother and aunt to take care of him.

She said Roupa will go on hunger strike until her request is approved. Enditem