The attack occurred Wednesday night at the Burgas airport and was apparently caused by a suicide bomber.
https://twitter.com/ibnezra/status/225620768539676673
From Haaretz:
Michal, the mother of Ron Parhan who flew to Bulgaria on Wednesday, said that her daughter called her in panic, and said that someone blew himself up on the bus. “She sustained cuts and was bleeding, they removed her through the window of the bus. She was hysterical, and is there without a cell phone, so she could not say much.”
Bulgarian police: Burgas airport closed, flights redirected to airport of Varna
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) July 18, 2012
Report: 7 killed in terror attack against #Israelis in #Bulgaria http://t.co/bvwy8RC4
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) July 18, 2012
Bulgarian news agency Focus says that 11-year-old Israeli girl, two pregnant women among those wounded http://t.co/Nx8p8AFf
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) July 18, 2012
Casualty numbers vary, with reports of between three and seven deaths.
https://twitter.com/khalister/status/225660689212133376
https://twitter.com/elainejkim/status/225660754202877952
From CNN:
Four people died at the scene and one in the hospital, the spokeswoman said. It was not clear what happened to the sixth victim.
…
Oren Katz, who was on a bus next to the one that blew up, together with his wife and three children, described a bloody scene.
“The moment we got on (the bus), we heard a very loud explosion. It was the third bus next to us. Everyone started running in all directions. There was a big chaos,” he said.
“We took our children with us and ran as far as we could away from the explosion. My oldest daughter is handicapped, so I decided to run back in order to pick up her wheelchair.
“There was a big blaze of fire, and we were not allowed to come near. Suddenly, I noticed an unconscious woman laying next to me, very close to the burning bus. I picked her up together with another man, and we managed to drag her out of the fire that was about to catch her body in seconds.
“I cannot forget the sight of body parts scattered around the bus. Ambulances and fire trucks have just started to arrive.”
Haaretz is covering the bombing with continuous updates here.
Bulgaria – Photo of the bus bombing where @ least 7 Israeli tourists have been killed – Zaka members our en route pic.twitter.com/D6CY3ctZ
— האקסטער69 (@Hockster69) July 18, 2012
Oh, God. Ynet: #Bulgaria news agency reporting that most of the passengers on the bus targeted in #Burgas were teenagers.
— Avi Mayer (@AviMayer) July 18, 2012
NRG: #Israel interior minister Yishai says "It has again been proven that terrorists' hatred of Israelis and Jews knows no bounds."
— Avi Mayer (@AviMayer) July 18, 2012
NRG: #Israel interior minister Yishai says "Today the terrorists had the upper hand, but that hand will eventually be severed."
— Avi Mayer (@AviMayer) July 18, 2012
Arutz 7: #Israel diplomatic personnel around the world instructed to avoid crowded areas for fear of additional attacks following #Burgas.
— Avi Mayer (@AviMayer) July 18, 2012
More from around Twitter:
These images of charred bus frames are all too familiar. #Bulgaria #Burgas
— Avital Chizhik-Goldschmidt (@avitalrachel) July 18, 2012
Rip to the victims of todays attack #AmIsraelChai #Bulgaria #terror @IDFSpokesperson
— Meir B (@dafunk21) July 18, 2012
https://twitter.com/raranoles2012/status/225666845376647169
https://twitter.com/MarkAdlerMP/status/225660382893707267
The terrorist attack against Israeli tourists in Bulgaria today is outrageous, an act of supreme cowardice.
— Susan Rice -Archived (@AmbRice44) July 18, 2012
We extend our condolences to the families of the victims of this heinous act and stand with the people of Israel & Bulgaria.
— Susan Rice -Archived (@AmbRice44) July 18, 2012
The United States must always stand with the people of Israel. Should offer ALL assistance in response to today's attack in Bulgaria.
— Dennis Ross (@DennisRossSEU) July 18, 2012
White House condemns Bulgaria attack | Fox News http://t.co/j8Yqjtvz via @foxnews
— Shmuel Rosner (@rosnersdomain) July 18, 2012
White House press secretary Jay Carney says the United States “condemns such attacks on innocent people, especially children, in the strongest possible terms.” Carney says President Barack Obama’s “thoughts and prayers are with the families of those killed and injured.”
Carney says the U.S. stands with the Israeli people and the people of Bulgaria. He says the Obama administration was working to learn all the facts in the case but the U.S.’s “commitment to Israel’s security remains unshakeable.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu believes Iranian terrorists are responsible.
PM Netanyahu's Remarks Following the Terror Attack in Bulgaria: http://t.co/2ivoZbj9
— PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) July 18, 2012
The Prime Minister said: “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.”
The Prime Minister sends his condolences to the families of the victims and wishes a speedy recovery to the wounded.
Naturally, some people couldn’t put their prejudices aside and took the opportunity to bash Netanyahu:
https://twitter.com/OhYaseen/status/225660097999814656
war pimp alert…RT @Remroum RT @AP BREAKING: Israeli prime minister says `all signs point to Iran' in Bulgaria blast.
— memluk mumtaz (@memluk) July 18, 2012
Israel is blaming Iran for deaths in Bulgaria. if a plague of locusts hit Haifa, they'd blame Iran.
— Dr Yvonne Ridley (@yvonneridley) July 18, 2012
Today’s attacks occurred on the anniversary of another brutal attack on Jews:
18 years ago today, on July 18,1994, terrorists attacked the Jewish Community Center "AMIA" in Buenos Aires, Argentina https://t.co/7kD5NV8J
— Israel Foreign Ministry (@IsraelMFA) July 18, 2012
18 yrs ago today 85 people,mostly Jews,murdered in Buenos Aires attack. Today Israelis murdered in Bulgaria. This is why we fight #terror.
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) July 18, 2012
A man associated with Hezbollah was recently arrested in connection with a planned terror attack on Israelis:
#Bulgaria attack comes after Hezbollah agent was arrested for planning to attack #Israel tourists. http://t.co/xEbGS0y4
— Act for Israel (@ActForIsrael) July 18, 2012
The fatal attack comes just days after a 24-year-old Lebanese man affiliated with Hezbollah was arrested on suspicion of planning a terror attack targeting Israeli tourists, based on evidence provided to local police by Israeli intelligence.
The man was found with information on tour buses carrying Israeli passengers, a list of Cypriot tourist spots favoured by Israel tourists and details of Israeli airlines that fly into Cyprus, Greek newspaper Phileleftheros reported.
“Based on the modus operandi of Hezbollah and Iranian agencies, including the Revolutionary Guard, I think a clear trademark connects today’s attack with those elements,” said Boaz Ganor, executive director at the Institute for Counter-Terrorism in Herzliya.
Reaction from Twitter is near-universal shock and disgust. Inevitably, though, there are people who celebrate the loss of life and condemn the Israel and the Jews.
Hezbollah, however, denies any involvement in today’s bombing:
#Hezbollah denies all connection to #Bulgaria bus attack http://t.co/Nx8p8AFf
— Haaretz.com (@haaretzcom) July 18, 2012
Hezbollah denies all connection to the attack. A representative from the group told Lebanese media outlets that “we will not seek revenge over the death of Imad Mughniyah by harming tourists.”
Reaction from Twitter is near-universal shock and disgust. Inevitably, though, there are people who celebrate the loss of life.
What comes around… RT:"@AmbassadorRice: terrorist attack against Israeli tourists in Bulgaria is outrageous, an act of supreme cowardice
— Noham (@Ah_meen) July 18, 2012
karma's a bitch@AmbassadorRice: The terrorist attack against Israeli tourists in Bulgaria today is outrageous, an act of supreme cowardice."
— Fati Okhuosami (@fatiokhuosami) July 18, 2012
https://twitter.com/mcmahardika/status/225666587603128320
https://twitter.com/wadewilsontv/status/225624773718323201
https://twitter.com/wadewilsontv/status/225635782495444994
Shameful.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their loved ones, and the people of Bulgaria.
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