Iran blamed after seven killed in bomb attack on Israeli bus in Bulgaria

“Eighteen years exactly after the blast at the Jewish community centre in
Argentina, murderous Iranian terror continues to hit innocent people,”
said Mr Netanyahu.

“This is an Iranian terror attack that is spreading throughout the entire
world. Israel will react powerfully against Iranian terror.”

“Only in the past few months we have seen Iranian attempts to attack
Israelis in Thailand, India, Georgia, Kenya, Cyprus and other places,”

Local officials indicated that the attack was by a remote controlled bomb in
the bus’s luggage compartment, although some reports suggested a man had
boarded the bus, with a huge explosion following immediately afterwards.

“We went through passport control and waiting for us were hotel
representatives who put us in buses. We put the bags in the trunk, and after
a few minutes, the bus exploded in flames,” Shoshi, who’s full name was
not given, told Voice of Israel radio.

Gal Malka, who also survived the explosion, told Israeli Army Radio: “We
sat down and within a few seconds we heard a huge boom and we ran away. We
managed to escape through a hole on the bus. We saw bodies and many people
injured. The whole bus went up in flames.”

Dimitar Nikolov, the mayor of Burgas told the bTV television channel that the
attack was caused by “a very strong explosive that was deliberately
placed or brought into the baggage compartment of the bus”.

The US condemned the attack, with President Barack Obama stating his “thoughts
and prayers” were with the victims.

Israelis have been targeted in attacks outside their country, notably in
Delhi, India and Bangkok, Thailand, in February.

Israel suspects Iran of being behind these attacks, which have further added
to tensions between the two countries already exacerbated by Israeli
warnings against Iran’s alleged pursuit of a nuclear weapons programme.

The deadly explosion comes after a foiled bomb attack in January targeting a
bus chartered to take Israeli tourists from the Turkish border to a
Bulgarian ski resort earlier this year.

Following an Israeli request, Bulgarian troops were deployed in several ski
resorts frequented by Israeli tourists after the bomb was found.

The foiled attack was thought to be linked to Hizbollah, the Lebanon based
Shia Islamist terror group that receives financial and political support
from Iran and Syria.

Israeli officials have pointed to the timing of the Bulgarian attack on the
anniversary of the 18 July 1994 bombing of the Asociacion Mutual Israelita
Argentina (AMIA; Argentine Israelite Mutual Association) building in Buenos
Aires.

Iran was blamed for that attack and Argentina has issued arrest warrants for
several Iranian nationals including General Ahmad Vahidi, the country’s
defence minister and former commander of the Revolutionary Guards.

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