Exasperated monks in Litohoro, a village at the foot of Mount Olympus, sent a letter yesterday to the government asking for the removal of a nearby army firing range, after a military exercise on Monday resulted in a missile landing on their monastery’s doorstep.

The missile, fired from a tank used in a training exercise, landed a few meters from the door of the historic Aghios Dionysios monastery, damaging the front entrance area and some parked cars.

Archimandrite Maximos, who is in charge of the monastery, said in the letter sent to the ministers of public order and defense yesterday that he had complained on behalf of the monks about the close proximity of the firing range in past, but nothing had happened.

“There is a direct and obvious threat to human life,” he said.