Bomber was not Bulgarian, minister says

TEL AVIV The suicide bomber who blew up a bus carrying Israeli tourists at a Bulgarian airport, killing himself and six others, was a foreign national. Five victims were laid to rest in Israel. Bomber was not Bulgarian, minister says “We are talking about a person that is not a Bulgarian citizen," Bulgarian Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov told a news conference. "We are exchanging information with our Israeli colleagues and the other services," he stressed. Tsvetanov added that the Bulgarian authorities were trying to determine the identity of the attacker in cooperation with two other countries but did not say which ones. The Bulgarian Prosecution has stated that the man believed to be behind the attack had short hair instead of long as media reported based on security cameras’ footage. Closed-circuit video showed the bomber wore Bermuda shorts, a blue T-shirt and cap, blending in with other tourists as he roamed the airport for an hour before blowing up the bus, Reuters says. Prosecutor Kalina Chapkanova has stated that the suspect earlier tried to rent a car in the town of Pomorie, near Burgas, ahead of the attack but that the owner of the rental agency became suspicious of his license and refused to conclude the deal. Chapkanova quoted the agency owner as saying the suspect spoke English with a "specific" accent. “The owner said the man had a short haircut, while the photo on the licence showed a man with long hair. He said that there was nothing suspicious in the behaviour of the suspect. He has been very calm and even the failure of the deal did not upset him," she explained. Tsvetanov said that the suspect had spent at least four days in the coastal towns of Ravda and Pomorie. The Bulgarian authorities have in the meantime continued to work on determining the bomber’s identity together with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Interpol by using finger prints, DNA samples and a drivers license allegedly issued in Michigan. Bodies of five Israelis, four young men and a woman, were transported to Israel where they were laid to rest. Two planes carrying 32 Israelis who were injured in the attack and another 56 tourists who did not want to stay in Bulgaria after the tragedy arrived in Israel on Thursday afternoon. Three seriously injured tourists were also transported to Israel. Burgas Airport was open 24 hours after the terrorist attack (Tanjug) Hezbollah is behind attack, U.S. official claims A U.S. official says the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah is believed to have been behind the suicide bombing that killed at least seven people on a bus full of Israeli tourists in Bulgaria. The unnamed official told this to AP on the condition of anonymity. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the bombing was carried out by Hezbollah, and Israel has vowed to strike back. Iran has called the accusation "baseless." The Bulgarian interior minister said that a suicide bomber was responsible for the attack, adding that he had a fake Michigan drivers license. Tanjug

Bomber was not Bulgarian, minister says

“We are talking about a person that is not a Bulgarian citizen," Bulgarian Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov told a news conference.

"We are exchanging information with our Israeli colleagues and the other services," he stressed.

Tsvetanov added that the Bulgarian authorities were trying to determine the identity of the attacker in cooperation with two other countries but did not say which ones.

The Bulgarian Prosecution has stated that the man believed to be behind the attack had short hair instead of long as media reported based on security cameras’ footage.

Closed-circuit video showed the bomber wore Bermuda shorts, a blue T-shirt and cap, blending in with other tourists as he roamed the airport for an hour before blowing up the bus, Reuters says.

Prosecutor Kalina Chapkanova has stated that the suspect earlier tried to rent a car in the town of Pomorie, near Burgas, ahead of the attack but that the owner of the rental agency became suspicious of his license and refused to conclude the deal.

Chapkanova quoted the agency owner as saying the suspect spoke English with a "specific" accent.

“The owner said the man had a short haircut, while the photo on the licence showed a man with long hair. He said that there was nothing suspicious in the behaviour of the suspect. He has been very calm and even the failure of the deal did not upset him," she explained.

Tsvetanov said that the suspect had spent at least four days in the coastal towns of Ravda and Pomorie.

The Bulgarian authorities have in the meantime continued to work on determining the bomber’s identity together with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Interpol by using finger prints, DNA samples and a drivers license allegedly issued in Michigan.

Bodies of five Israelis, four young men and a woman, were transported to Israel where they were laid to rest. Two planes carrying 32 Israelis who were injured in the attack and another 56 tourists who did not want to stay in Bulgaria after the tragedy arrived in Israel on Thursday afternoon.

Three seriously injured tourists were also transported to Israel.

Burgas Airport was open 24 hours after the terrorist attack

Hezbollah is behind attack, U.S. official claims

A U.S. official says the Iranian-backed militant group Hezbollah is believed to have been behind the suicide bombing that killed at least seven people on a bus full of Israeli tourists in Bulgaria.

The unnamed official told this to AP on the condition of anonymity.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said the bombing was carried out by Hezbollah, and Israel has vowed to strike back.

Iran has called the accusation "baseless."

The Bulgarian interior minister said that a suicide bomber was responsible for the attack, adding that he had a fake Michigan drivers license.