At Least 7 Killed in Terror Attack in Bulgaria

Note: I will update this post as more information comes out. Updates will be placed at the bottom of the post.

 

CHALLAH @ The Jerusalem Post

Seven Israelis were killed and 32 injured when a bomb exploded on an Israeli tourist bus at the airport of the Bulgarian city of Burgas on Wednesday, the 18th anniversary of the Iran-sponsored attack on the AMIA Jewish center in Buenos Aires, Argentina. 

Six of the victims died on the spot, and the seventh in the hospital following the attack, Bulgarian officials confirmed. 

The bus was carrying 42 Israeli tourists who landed in Bulgaria at a 4:45 p.m for a vacation in Sunny Beach. Two adjacent buses were also damaged in the blast.

ElderofZiyon notes that “Israeli media has interviews with eyewitnesses who said that the explosion was in the luggage compartment of the bus and people were jumping out of the windows to escape.”

Ynet adds:

According to media reports, an 11-year-old child and two pregnant women were among the injured. Fortunately, the pregnant women were lightly injured. The evacuation of the injured has been completed.

The same Ynet report adds:

An eyewitness told Channel 2 News that Bulgarian authorities were slow to respond to the event, adding that search and rescue teams and paramedics "didn’t seem to care too much. They took a while getting these two small fire-extinguishers to fight a burning bus, and the airport's fire truck took over 15 minutes to get there."

Maariv reports that only one of the dead has been identified.

Here is video taken shortly after the attack.

The White House has condemned the attack "in the strongest possible terms." Barack Obama has issued the following statement.

I strongly condemn today’s barbaric terrorist attack on Israelis in Bulgaria. My thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed and injured, and with the people of Israel, Bulgaria, and any other nation whose citizens were harmed in this awful event. These attacks against innocent civilians, including children, are completely outrageous. The United States will stand with our allies, and provide whatever assistance is necessary to identify and bring to justice the perpetrators of this attack. As Israel has tragically once more been a target of terrorism, the United States reaffirms our unshakeable commitment to Israel’s security, and our deep friendship and solidarity with the Israeli people.

Bulgaria's EU Humanitarian Aid Commissioner Kristalina Georgieva tweeted that “I am shocked and saddened by the the news of explosion in ‪#Burgas that took lives. Following the news constantly!” She also tweeted that “My deepest condolences to the families of the victims of ‪#Burgas blast. I pray for the injured.” Bulgaria’s president, prime minister, and interior minister all reportedly rushed to the scene. Bulgaria’s Interior Minister said that bombing was "a deliberate attack."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued the following statement:

All signs point towards Iran.  Over the last few months we have seen Iran’s attempts to attack Israelis in Thailand, India, Georgia, Kenya, Cyprus and other countries. Exactly 18 years to the day after the horrendous attack on the Jewish Community Center in Argentina, deadly Iranian terrorism continues to strike at innocent people. This is a global Iranian terror onslaught and Israel will react firmly to it.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak has said that “The defense establishment will work with all its might to find the perpetrators of this terrorist attack and those who sent them…We have a long struggle with [terrorists] that has many successes and many difficult days. Today is such a difficult day."

Opposition leader Shelly Yechimovich called the attack a "murderous terror attack" and declared that "there is no doubt that the instability in the region is spawned by Iran aiming especially for Israelis and Jews throughout the world."

According to the Jerusalem Post, “ZAKA and MDA rescue services in Israel were preparing delegations to fly to Bulgaria.”

It should be noted that in January, Bulgaria tried to hush reports that suggested that Jews and Israelis were being targeted in the country. According to Haaretz, “Several internet sites in Bulgaria reports that government authorities ignored warnings and alerts by Israeli and Russian sources over a possible attack.”

Update: According to the Times of Israel, "Israeli officials are now speaking of a security failure at Bourgas airport, whereby the terrorists knew which buses the Israelis would be using, and either placed a bomb on board ahead of time, or managed to place a bomb inside a suitcase in the bus luggage hold." The online outlet also reports that Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman has said that "there is no possibility that the bomb was in a suitcase that came from Israel." Lieberman reportedly said that while there were no specific warnings, there were general ones. According to Lieberman, the attack was the work of the Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.

Update: Here is the statement from the EU’s Catherine Ashton:

I was appalled to hear of this afternoon’s apparent terrorist attack on Israeli tourists arriving in Bulgaria. I am deeply shocked by the scenes at Bourgas airport, where what should have been the beginning of a happy holiday ended in murder. I send my condolences to the families of all those killed. Many more have been injured. We wish them a speedy recovery. The EU utterly condemns all acts of terrorism, wherever they take place. The terrorists who planned and carried out this attack must be brought to justice.

Update: Bulgaria’s President says that there was no warning from the Mossad of an imminent attack when they met approximately a month ago.

Bulgarian media outlets are reporting that two of dead, a bus driver and the tour guide, are Bulgarian. I have updated the title of this post to reflect this report.

The United Kingdom has now issued its own condemnation of the attack.

Update: According to Haaretz, there is "relatively detailed intelligence" implicating a top IRGC official, Qasem Soleimani, in the attack.

Update: Mitt Romney has issued the following statement:

The terrorist attack today in Bulgaria is a sobering reminder that the scourge of terrorism continues to threaten all free people. My heart goes out to the victims and their families, and to all Israelis who have been the targets of such brutal and cowardly violence for so long. We must stand together in the fight against terrorism, and we must prevail.

Update: Here is Hillary Clinton’s statement on the attack.

I was deeply saddened and angered to learn of today’s terrorist attack against Israeli tourists in Bulgaria. The United States condemns in the strongest terms this heinous terrorist attack against innocent civilians. We offer our deepest condolences to the victims and their loved ones. The United States stands ready to offer any assistance necessary, and we will work with our partners in Bulgaria, Israel and elsewhere so that the perpetrators can be apprehended swiftly and brought to justice for this appalling crime.

The Turkish Foreign Ministry has also issued a condemnation as well as the UN Secretary-General and Russia.

Israel’s President Shimon Peres said that “Yesterday we witnessed a terrorist attack unlike any other, perpetrated by Iran. We know that there were other attempts, and this time they succeeded. We will not forget, we will not ignore and we will not surrender. Israel will reach out and act regarding every terror nest around the world. It has the means to do so, and we are determined to act in this spirit.”

Haaretz reports that “Israel and Bulgaria are working with the U.S. and other countries to draft a condemnation of the Burgas terror attack for the UN Security Council.” Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu now says the attack was carried out by Hezbollah with direction from Iran. Simirlay, Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said that "The immediate executors are Hezbollah people, who of course have constant Iranian sponsorship.”

Germany’s Foreign Minister says that “There is no data about the perpetrators and Israel should be careful in commenting on the attack.”

Bulgarian media are reportedly reporting that the suicide bomber in the attack was Mehdi Ghezali. Times of Israel notes that “Ghezali was reportedly a Swedish citizen, with Algerian and Finnish origins. He had been held at the US’s Guantanamo Bay detainment camp on Cuba from 2002 to 2004, having previously studied at a Muslim religious school and mosque in Britain, and traveled to Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan. He was released to Swedish custody in 2004, and the Swedish government did not press charges. He was also reportedly among 12 foreigners captured trying to cross into Afghanistan in 2009.” In addition, the online outlet says that Ghezali was “was carrying an American passport and Michigan driver’s license, both believed to be forgeries.”

You can read more about Ghezali over at The Long War Journal as well as here and here. Ghezali appears in this video, go to 109:45. One interesting point found in the LWJ post is that “Five years after he left Gitmo, Ghezali, along with Awad, Benouada, and nine others, was detained in northern Pakistan. The group had traveled through Iran, and one member of the entourage was an Iranian.”

I should note that as of now there is no OFFICIAL confirmation that Ghezali was the bomber. (h/t Yaakov Katz)

Here is the fake driver’s license reportedly used by the terrorist. Note that the address is for Louisiana despite being a Michigan license.

A 15 second video of the bomber in the airport has been released.

Here is video of the buses burning following the attack.

Here are photos of ZAKA members on the scene in Bulgaria. And here is a video.

Ynet reports that "Chief Medical Officer Brigadier-General Itzik Kreis said at the Ben Gurion Airport that the condition of the Israelis injured in a terror attack in Burgas on Wednesday is "better than we thought." He added that three Israelis are still hospitalized in Sofia. "The Bulgarians took good care of them, and I dare say saved their lives."

Here is a photo of the bombed bus being towed away from the airport.

Update: According to this Bulgarian media outlet, the name Mehdi Ghezali appears to have originated via Facebook users. With this, I repeat that there has been no OFFICIAL confirmation that Ghezali was the bomber. A security source, I believe Swedish, has said that Ghezali was not the bomber.

Update: Swedish Security Service says that Ghezali was not the bomber.

Update: Here are the names of the five Israelis who were killed in the attack: Amir Menashe (28), Itzik Kolangi (28), Kochava Shriki (44), Maor Harsush (25) and Elior Prayce (26).

Update: Bulgarian officials have told ABC News that Ghezali is not the bomber.

Update: While Iran’s Foreign Ministry reportedly condemned the attack in Burgas, on Thursday Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said that “The enemy deals a blow to the Iranian nations step by step; but, in return, it receives a stronger, heavier blow.” Israel’s Channel 2 suggests that this was a reference to the Burgas attack.

Carol Rosenberg reports for the Miami Herald that “In Stockholm, spokesmen for both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the national security services agency said separately that Ghezali had been ruled out as the bomber.”

Germany’s Deutsche Welle (DW) reports that “Several warnings of possible attacks on Israeli tourists in Bulgaria did not prevent the bombing in Burgas on Wednesday.” According to DW, “last month a Mossad representative expressly flagged up the danger to Bulgarian authorities.”

Bulgarian experts and officials, according to DW, thus far agree with the Israeli assessment that Hezbollah was behind the attack.

Bulgarian Middle East expert Vladimir Chukov suspects the Islamic Hezbollah militia of being behind the attack, and diplomatic sources in Sofia indicate that Bulgarian authorities agree with him.

CBS News reports that Bulgarian “Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov said the bomber was believed to have been about 36 years old and had been in the country between four and seven days. "We cannot exclude the possibility that he had logistical support on Bulgarian territory," the minister said. He declined to elaborate.”

Update: The New York Times is reporting that "A senior American official confirmed Israel’s assertions on Thursday that the suicide bomber who killed five Israelis in an attack here on Wednesday was a member of a Hezbollah cell operating in Bulgaria."

The official said the current American intelligence assessment is that the bomber was “acting under broad guidance” to hit Israeli targets when the opportunity presented itself. That guidance was given to Hezbollah, a Lebanese militant group, by its primary sponsor, Iran, he said. 

The attacks, the official said, were in retaliation for the assassinations of Iranian nuclear scientists by Israeli agents, something that Israel has neither confirmed nor denied. “This was tit for tat,” said the American official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the investigation was still underway.

Update: According to Der Spiegel, "An additional clue to the Wednesday bombing is provided by the fact that Western documents were found on the attacker -- often an indicator of Iranian or Hezbollah involvement."

Here are some photos from the ceremony that took place at Ben-Gurion airport this evening for the killed Israelis.

Update: Bulgaria's Interior Minister has said that the suspected suicide bomber "is not a Bulgarian citizen." Reports suggest that Interpol is sending a team to aid in the investigation.

Update: The Associated Press reports that the suicide bomber "had a short haircut, not the long hair seen in a security video, and tried to rent a car in the days before the bombing but was turned down because his ID (see above) appeared suspicious." The same report says that "a U.S. official told The Associated Press on Thursday night that Hezbollah was believed to be behind the attack."

I believe earlier reports that a tour guide was also killed may be wrong, as according to the Associated Press the only Bulgarian killed was the bus driver.

According to the Washington Post, US officials have not concluded that Hezbollah was behind the attack.

U.S. intelligence officials said it was “plausible” that Hezbollah carried out the attack but that analysts at the CIA and other agencies were still evaluating the intelligence surrounding the bombing and had not reached a conclusion. 

“I think there’s a lot of people that assume, and have since day one, that this is Hezbollah,” said a senior U.S. official, who added that U.S. intelligence agencies had not reached such an assessment.