Greek Defense Ministry

A Greek air force plane was expected to carry the bodies of three Greek nationals who died in the Norman Atlantic ferry disaster in December back to Greece.

The aircraft was set to leave Italy? Bari airport and reach Athens International Airport.

The cost of the transport operation was expected to be covered in its entirety by the Greek Defense Ministry.

A ferry carrying nearly 500 people caught fire off the Greek island of Corfu Dec. 28, trapping passengers on the top decks as gale-force winds and choppy seas hampered the evacuation.

The Greek Defense Ministry says three soldiers have been killed and one was seriously wounded in a mortar-tube explosion at an army firing range in central Greece.

By Derek Gatopoulos

A Greek navy frigate carrying embassy staff and nearly 200 people from Greece, China and other countries evacuated from the conflict in Libya returned early Saturday to a port near Athens.

Passengers on the frigate Salamis described a deteriorating security situation in the Libyan capital Tripoli, with frequent power and water cuts.

A Greek frigate carrying 186 people evacuated from conflict-ridden Libya is expected to reach the port of Piraeus early Saturday, the Greek Defense Ministry said.

With the violence in Libya escalating to its worst level since the 2011 ouster of dictator Moammar Gadhafi, governments from around the world are scrambling to evacuate their citizens from the country, many seeking help from nearby Greece.

Greek Defense Ministry is planning a large-scale modernization of the army which will cost a minimum of EUR 1B.

Currently, the modernization program is up for consideration in the parliamentary defense committee. If approved, the plan will be launched by the end of July, according to local media, cited by Bulgarian private TV station BTV.