At Least 7 Israelis Killed in Terror Attack in Bulgaria

At Least 7 Israelis 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.

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