On September 27, combined German and Cham forces launched a large scale operation, burning and destroying villages north of Paramythia, including, Eleftherochori, Seliani, Semelika, Aghios Nikolaos, and killing 50 Greek villagers in the process.
However, this operation was not enough, on the eve of September 27, group of Cham Albanian militiamen investigated almost every home in Paramythia.