Six people were killed in a bomb attack on a bus carrying Israeli tourists at the Bulgarian resort airport of Burgas on Wednesday and Israel accused Tehran of carrying out the attack, promising a strong response to "Iranian terror."
Body parts were strewn across the ground and mangled metal hung from the bus's torn-back roof. Its windows were blown out and surrounded by scorch marks, as clouds of dense black smoke billowed above the airport.
The tourists had arrived on a charter flight from Israel and were on the bus in the car park outside Burgas airport when the blast ripped through the double-decker.
"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," Aviva Malka told Israeli Army Radio from the scene.
The Bulgarian Interior Ministry declined to comment on whether it might have been a suicide attack, as some witnesses had speculated, and said it was questioning people who had been close.
The blast comes on the 18th anniversary of a 1994 bomb attack on the headquarters of Argentina's main Jewish organisation by an Iranian-backed Hezbollah suicide bomber, which killed 85 people.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu blamed Iran and said Israel would respond.
"All the signs lead to Iran. Only in the past few months we have seen Iranian attempts to attack Israelis in Thailand, India, Georgia, Kenya, Cyprus and other places," Netanyahu said in a statement.
VULNERABLE TARGET
Israeli officials had previously said that Bulgaria, a popular holiday destination for Israeli tourists, was vulnerable to attack by Islamist militants who could infiltrate via Turkey.
Although Tehran has denied involvement, some analysts believe it is trying to avenge the assassinations of several scientists from its nuclear programme, which the Iranians have blamed on Israel and its Western allies.
Israel Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said the bomb could have been stuck on the side of the bus – the way an attack on an Israeli embassy car in India was carried out in February.
Bulgaria raised security at all airports, bus and railway stations after the explosion. Sofia Mayor Yordanka Fandakova also boosted policing at public places linked to the Jewish community in Bulgaria's capital.
"COMPLETELY OUTRAGEOUS"
Bulgaria's Foreign Ministry said six people had been killed, including one who died in hospital. Thirty-two people were in hospital, three of whom were in intensive care.
U.S. President Barack Obama called the attack "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," he said.
Israel has sent security officials to help with the investigation and its military was sending two planes to Burgas, one with medical crews to provide assistance to the injured and fly them home and another with forensic experts. A third plane with medics from the emergency services was also on its way.
Burgas airport was closed after the incident and flights were redirected to the airport of Varna, police said.
CYPRUS ATTACK PLOT
Israel accused Lebanon's Hezbollah guerrillas and Iran on Sunday of plotting to attack its citizens in Cyprus after police arrested a foreigner on suspicion of security offences.
The suspect, who was arrested in Limassol port on July 7, was described by Cypriot media as a Swedish passport-holder of Lebanese descent.
He was detained after tracking the movement of Israeli tourists on the island, according to some reports, but has not been charged with any crime.
Prime Minister Netanyahu called the incident "the attempted terrorist attack by Hezbollah against an Israeli target in Cyprus". He accused the Shi'ite guerrilla group's sponsor, Iran, of overall responsibility.
Cypriot Justice and Public Order Minister Loucas Louca said authorities were awaiting for the results of their investigation before releasing further information.
"This is a serious and delicate case and any statements may harm the case," he told reporters.
A Cypriot government source said the arrest took place following information from foreign intelligence agencies. An Israeli official said the Mossad spy service was involved in the investigation.
The suspect's reported July 5 arrival on Cyprus coincided with the country assuming the presidency of the European Union, an event marked by the gathering of a host of EU officials and commissioners on the island.
Its last major security incident was a botched car bomb attack on the Israeli embassy in May 1988, which killed three people.
