Greek police are searching for the culprits of a gruesome attack against a 69-year-old farmer in Crete who had his tongue cut off after reportedly being shot six times.
According to the local news site Creta24.gr, the heinous attack occurred in the village of Vilandredo, Rethymno prefecture, when the assailants attacked the stockbreeder, leaving him severely injured and bleeding profusely.
The man is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), after being rushed to the Rethymno hospital with multiple injuries when his son found him in a pool of blood. His condition is described as critical, as doctors are still trying to control the bleeding.
According to local media sites, the authorities are particularly concerned about the injury to his tongue, which suggests the victim may have been tortured by the attackers.
Reports indicate that the 69-year-old was shot at least twice in different parts of his body, likely from a pistol or revolver.
At the same time, the police are carefully investigating this case. According to public broadcaster ERT, the 69-year-old farmer in Crete is the father of a young man, who was attacked with a corrosive liquid last July in the Koumbes area of Rethymno, and the two violent incidents may be connected.
The 69-year-old stockbreeder’s son found him bleeding in a storage area near the farm and immediately notified the authorities. Police investigations are ongoing.
Vendettas and armed confrontations are not uncommon on Crete, especially in rural upland areas, with most disputes concerning conflicting land claims, competing grazing and water rights and, lately, control of hashish cultivations.
