A Greek who is suspected of being a member of the country's November 17 extremist group has admitted killing British military attache Stephen Saunders, according to reports.

Savvas Xiros, whose arrest led to the smashing of the shadowy group, told a prosecuting magistrate he had fired four times at Brigadier Saunders with a rifle, his lawyer has said.

State-run NET television also quoted Mr Xiros as saying; "I shot Saunders. I fired four times."

Mr Xiros has been charged with participating in more than 80 terror attacks in Greece.

Gunned down

November 17 is believed to be responsible for the deaths of 23 people since 1973.

Brigadier was on his way to the British embassy

The 53-year-old brigadier was shot on 8 June 2000 in a busy north Athens road by two gunmen on a motorcycle, while on his way to work at the British embassy.

Mr Xiros was arrested in June when a bomb he was carrying went off prematurely and injured him - accidentally providing police with their first lead on November 17 which had operated unpunished for 27 years.

The group, named after the date of an abortive student uprising against the former Greek regime, claimed responsibility for Brigadier Saunders's death, saying it had killed him because of Britain's role in the 1999 Nato bombing of Yugoslavia.

Accomplice

Mr Xiros's lawyer said he had also admitted killing London-based Greek ship-owner Costas Peratikos in 1997 and participating in the assassinations of two US military officers, two Turkish diplomats, and a Greek banker, a business executive, a state attorney and a parliamentary deputy.

His arrest led directly to anti-terrorist police raids and 15 further arrests.

His alleged accomplice, Dimitris Koufodinas, has escaped arrest for the past five weeks and is the most wanted man in Greece.

Fifteen other men have been charged with being members of November 17 and with having participated in its attacks.