7 reported killed in terror attack against Israelis in Bulgaria

The initial report:

Several Israelis were killed and wounded on Wednesday in a terror attack on a tour bus in the Burgus airport in Bulgaria, local media reported. An Israeli who witnessed the event said that one of the buses that carried Israelis across terminals in the airport blew up and went up in flames.

6:54 P.M.: Death count reaches seven, according to Bulgarian television.

7:13 P.M.: Burgus Mayor Dimitar Nikolov says explosives were placed in the trunk of the bus.

Ynet reports differently:

According to media reports, a suicide bomber boarded one of three buses shuttling Israeli tourist across the terminal at around 5:30 pm and then detonated an explosive vest. Bulgarian media said 44 people were on the vehicle at the time of the explosion.

Speculations about the perpetrators of the attack have already started in the media, with Iran and its trusted arm, Hezbollah, being mentioned as prime suspects. However this should be mentioned:

Security sources said that there was no intelligence indicating that Israelis traveling in the area may fall prey to terror attacks.

Update: according to Maariv (Hebrew):

A female suicide bomber who stood at the terminal, approached the buses with Israeli tourists and blew herself up.

And a timely reminder from Fox/AP:

The attack comes on the anniversary of a 1994 attack on a Jewish center in Buenos Aires, Argentina, that killed 85 people. Just this morning, relatives of the victims implored the Argentine government to pressure Iran to turn over seven suspects accused in that attack.

Update:

Bulgarian Foreign Minister Nikolay Mladenov arrived at the site of the attack and called Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman in order to report to him that explosives placed in the trunk of the tourists’ bus were the cause of the explosion. Mladenov told Lieberman that six people were killed in the attack while another died of in the hospital. Two other individuals were in critical condition in the emergency room. 30 others were being treated at the city’s hospital.

Update. More confusing reports:

Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borisov said Thursday that the terror attack at the Sarafovo Airport terminal was likely the work of a suicide bomber, and not an explosive device planted on the bus, as previously assumed. Seven people were killed, six of them Israelis, and 34 others were wounded in the blast.

More on the suicide bomber version:

Bulgaria's Interior Minister Tsvetanov told reporters on Thursday that the suicide bomber who carried out a terror attack against Israeli tourists in Burgas on Wednesday "looked like everybody else - a normal person with Bermuda shorts and a backpack," he said.

An investigation suggests that the terrorist was waiting near the bus for over an hour.

Update: a video clip of the alleged suicide bomber was posted:



And meanwhile politicos compete in colorful threats:

Benjamin Netanyahu:

"All signs point to Iran," he said. "Only in the last few months we’ve seen Iran trying to target Israelis in Thailand, India, Georgia, Kenya, Cyprus and other destinations."..."This is a globally expanding Iranian terrorist attack. Israel will retaliate."

Ehud Barak:

Our defense forces will act to track down the perpetrators and masterminds behind this act of terrorism.

Interior Minister Eli Yishai

Today is a sad day in which the terrorists' hand triumphed, but it is doomed to be cut off.

Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch

said Thursday that Israel will "settle the score" with those responsible for the terror attack on Israelis in Bulgaria. He too pointed the finger at Iran.

Etc.