Hizbollah and Israel accuses Iran of involvement in attacks in Bulgaria

Government in Tel Aviv accuses Lebanese mlícia country and being responsible for the attack that killed seven people in Bulgaria, five of them Israelis. Experts point out security flaws of the Bulgarian authorities. Israel sent its own investigators to the city of Burgas, in Bulgaria, where a suicide attack on a tourist bus killed seven people on Wednesday (18/07), five of them in Israel. A special rescue unit, including the military, was sent by Israel to collect information on the Black Sea coast. The Israeli government has accused the Lebanese militia Hezbollah have carried out the attack in charge of Iran. The tourists had arrived in Tel Aviv and would be taken to the hotel when the explosion occurred. In addition to the five Israeli tourists, died also the supposed author of the Bulgarian attack and the driver of the vehicle. The blast also wounded 37 people, some seriously. Security cameras filmed a man with long hair at the site of the attack, before the explosion. The researchers assume that the author is, because your body had the worst injuries. The Israeli Minister of Interior, Izhak Aharonovitch, said there was no doubt that Iran is behind the attack, and promised that those responsible pay. However, Tehran has denied any involvement, said the news network Al Alam. "Iran denies any involvement and condemned any terrorist attack against innocent lives as something inhuman," said a spokesman for the Foreign Ministry, Ramin Mehmanparast. The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, has accused Iran and Hezbollah to carry out a "global terrorist campaign." The Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said that Israel has "solid information" that the attack is the responsibility of Iran and the Lebanese movement Hezbollah.

Danger announced

An attack of this kind was expected. In January, Israeli security officials had warned his fellow Bulgarians about the threat of Islamic terrorist attacks against Israeli tourists in the country. "In recent years, received about 15 warnings and can thwart several attacks," said the Bulgarian Prime Minister, Boiko Borisov. There were several rounds of bilateral talks on the subject, between Bulgaria and Israel. In January, the Bulgarian news agency BTA quoted Israeli sources with information that a recent terrorist attack against Israeli tourists in Bulgaria had been prevented. Researchers had discovered a suitcase with explosives on a bus with Israeli citizens in the winter holidays in Bulgaria.

Recent Alerts

The Israeli warning was repeated at the beginning of tourist season in Bulgaria. A month ago, a Mossad agent explicitly warned the Bulgarian authorities about the danger. Bulgaria is a popular destination for Israeli tourists. This year, the number of Israeli citizens visiting the country increased 10%. Owing to the tensions between Turkey and Israel, many Israelis prefer the Bulgarian Black Sea coast for the holidays, instead of Turkey. The Bulgarian beach resorts in the region are highly sought after by Israeli tourists, also due to its casinos and lively parties to juveniles. The safety precautions taken by the Bulgarian authorities have become increasingly the target of criticism. "Bulgaria is not ready for such attacks. Not enough care for the safety of Israeli tourists," accused the former deputy prime minister and former Bulgarian Minister of Defense Dimiter Ludiev, told. "Until this year, only Israeli airlines flying to the Bulgarian Black Sea coast. There was always involved Israeli security, passengers were literally escorted the aircraft to the hotel. This case, however, was a Bulgarian airline, Air Via, and there was a security measure. was a certificate of incompetence of the Bulgarian security services ", criticized Ludiev. The Bulgarian President, Rossen Plevneliev, also made public their concerns about the competence of security. However, the Prime Minister and Interior Minister Borisov, Tzvetan Tzvetanov, do not accept the criticism. "This attack could have happened anywhere else. But it is happening in Bulgaria," Borisov said.

Experts also suspect Hezbollah

Diplomatic sources in Sofia say that the first suspicions of the security forces of Bulgaria passed on to Hezbollah. It is speculated that the attack could be linked to a meeting of opposition forces in Syria in Sofia, about two months. The Israeli expert on terrorism Boaz Ganor suspected that Iran and Hezbollah are radical Islamic militia was behind the attack. A few days ago, was arrested in Cyprus a Hizbollah fighter who planned a similar attack. "It was possibly a parallel operation, and probably not the last," Ganor speculated. "It smells like Hezbollah, Iran or a common action." Solomon Passy, ​​former Bulgarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and expert on security issues, is convinced that Bulgaria now depends on the help of NATO and the EU. The Bulgarian political Georgieva, EU Commissioner for International Cooperation, pleiteiou close cooperation between Europol and the SEA for a quick clarification of the attack.