ATHENS – Greek police said two men from Montenegro and Slovenia respectively with criminal records were shot dead in front of their families while dining at a packed taverna in the coastal town of Vari south of the country’s capital in a likely attack from another gang.

The victims, whose names weren’t given, were both 44 and police said both had international arrest warrants pending were believed dangerous criminals, one facing weapons and explosives charges and the other accused of being a gang member.

Police said four gunmen burst into the tavern and opened fire, injuring one woman. They were taken to the Asklipeio hospital in nearby Voula where doctors announced the two men dead on arrival while the woman was treated for gunshot wounds to her legs.

The Serbian daily newspaper Vecernje Novosti identified them as  Stevan Stamatovic and Igor Dedovic, reporting that Greece is becoming a haven for criminals from other Balkan countries, such as Albania, Serbia and Montenegro.

“This region is a playground for Russian, Serbian and Arab criminals. Over the last five or six years, there has been an increasing number of confrontations. If they are not deported as soon as possible, the southern suburbs will become Beirut!” one reader complained.