Greek police suspect racist motive in attack on Afghan teens

ATHENS, Greece – Greek police say they are investigating a possible racist motive in a violent attack by hooded men on a group of teenage Afghan asylum-seekers in the northern town of Konitsa.

A police statement Wednesday said the racist violence department is trying to identify the assailants.

The nine migrants were attacked “without provocation” by five men with clubs while playing in an open-air basketball court on Sunday, police said.

The youths, aged 14-18, live in a centre for unaccompanied minors in Konitsa, some 500 kilometres (310 miles) northwest of Athens.

The police statement said two of the victims were treated overnight in a hospital after the attack, one for light injuries and the other for shock.

Greece is a major entry point for migrants seeking a better life in Europe.