Israel blames Iran in deadly Bulgaria bus blast

Updated 6:04 p.m. ET

(CBS/AP) SOFIA, Bulgaria - A bus carrying Israeli youth exploded Wednesday in a Bulgarian resort, killing at least six people and wounding more than 32, the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry said. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it "an Iranian terror attack" and promised a tough response.

The explosion took place in the Black Sea city of Burgas, some 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of the capital, Sofia. TV images showed smoke billowing from the scene -- a parking lot at the local airport, where the Israeli tourists had apparently just landed. Several buses and cars were on fire near the shell of the exploded vehicle.

Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, after being briefed by his Bulgarian counterpart, said the explosion was caused by a bomb placed on the bus. He said seven people died, but by Wednesday night the Bulgarian Foreign Ministry had placed the death toll at six and the number of wounded at 32 people.

No group immediately claimed responsibility. But Israelis often have been targeted in attacks outside their country, and Wednesday's bombing coincided with the 18th anniversary of the bombing of a Jewish community center in Argentina that killed 85 people.

Unidentified Israeli tourist is helped as she arrives to Bourgas hospital after a bus carrying Israeli tourists in the Bulgarian resort city of Bourgas exploded Wednesday.

/ AP Photo/ Bulphoto Agency

Israel suspects Iran of being behind several of those assaults, which have added to the tensions between the two nations already exacerbated by Israeli warnings against Iran's alleged pursuit of a nuclear weapons program.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak said the blast was "clearly a terrorist attack initiated probably by Hezbollah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad or another group under the terror auspices of either Iran or other radical Islamic groups."

"We are in a continual fight against them," he said in a statement. "We are determined to identify who sent them, who perpetrated [the attack], and to settle the account."

Netanyahu noted that Wednesday's attack followed similar attacks or attempted attacks in India, Georgia, Thailand and Kenya and Cyprus in recent months. He said that once again, "all signs point to Iran," though he did not offer any evidence to back up the claim.

Destroyed buses are seen at Burgas airport, outside the Black Sea city of Burgas, Bulgaria, some 250 miles east of the capital, Sofia, Wednesday, July 18, 2012.

/ AP Photo/ Bulphoto Agency

"This is a global Iranian terror onslaught and Israel will react firmly to it," Netanyahu said.

Tehran did not immediately issue any comment. Bulgarian Prime Minister Boyko Borissov said he and Netanyahu agreed to work together in investigating the attack.

President Barack Obama condemned the "barbaric" attack and vowed to stand by the people of Bulgaria and Israel.

"These attacks against innocent civilians, including children, are completely outrageous," the White House said in a statement. "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."

Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesman Jonathan Rosenzweig said a flight from Tel Aviv had landed at 4:45 p.m. at the airport and that the blast took place about 40 minutes later. The tourists were apparently boarding the buses to go to their hotels. Lieberman said the bus was transporting tourists who had arrived in a charter flight from Israel. There were 154 people on the flight.

Witness Gal Malka told Israel's Channel 2 TV that she saw someone board the bus before it exploded. Malka, who was lightly wounded, said the bus was full of Israeli teenagers. "We were at the entrance of the bus and in a few seconds we heard a huge boom," she said.

An unidentified injured Israeli tourist is carried in front of Borgas hospital after an explosion at Burgas airport, outside the Black Sea city of Burgas, Bulgaria.

/ AP Photo/ Bulphoto Agency

Witnesses told CBS News reporter Jordan Jordanovich that flames were five meters high.

The Burgas airport was closed and traffic redirected. In Sofia, meanwhile, Mayor Yordanka Fandakova ordered a stronger police presence at all public places linked to the Jewish community. There are some 5,000 Jews in Bulgaria and most live in the capital.

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[JesusLivesandRules]

So many of these comments blame Israel for what is going on....have any of you ever picked up a bible? God's true and Holy Word is our human history from past present and future. It tells the history of the Jewish people and their plight from throughout the ages, and the plight of the gentiles(anyone who is not a Jew) and in the end, as God is always in control over everything that happens everywhere, small and great, and Israel is the apple of His eye(they will win in the end), all who curse her will be cursed, and all who bless her will be blessed Genesis 12:3, this He did through the father Abraham, which we know of as the Abrahamic Covenant. For any nation to commit anti-semitism brings inevitable judgment upon themselves.Read your Holy Bibles people, you might know what these wars are really all about.

[Rejco100]

Israel is a terrorist make-believe nation; nothing its War-Mongering Terrorist Leaders say is truthful.

[ForgiveandForget]

Israel - You are reaping what you sow.

[Ketwhat]

And when exactly was that sowing you so clearly see?

[TimeToEvolve]

America spends most of it's money promoting global empire for the profit of its oil and other corporations. Israel is just a satellite country whose purpose is to represent America (and other imperial countries in Europe who are also run by corporate interests) in the middle east. The only country that may be more hated than America is Israel.

[TimeToEvolve]

The reason you know that the right wing government of Israel are the terrorists is because they accuse others of it. That is how right wingers roll. It is Karl Rovian.

As long as Israel does the killing, it is OK. As soon as someone retailiates for their apartheid and genocide, they are terrorists. Sound just like the putrid vomit being puked out by the member of the Bush Cheney Crime Family during their reign of terror.

[TimeToEvolve]

You already are calling people who strike at Israel criminals when it is Israel that has instigated it. So then you proceed to assume they are strategic targets. As I said, it is not terrorism if Israel (or America) does it. Only the Muslims. I get it.

[sweetcakesmaria]

The drums of war is beating. Notice how America just happen to have a military presence near the strait of Homuz. How much longer before Israeli war planes are bombing Iran with the assistance of our ships.

[retmw2]

kkltr

Bet your're looking forward to the Americans that will be killed and the cost to the U.S. taxpayers, when we have to bail israel out.

[formerlyluvnut]

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called it "an Iranian terror attack" and promised a tough response.
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Shaddup Benji and no, you ain't gonna do anything but whine whine whine.

[lucifersshadow]

The israelis seem to conveniently forget the assassination of the Iranian physicists that they carried out not to long ago.

[sweetcakesmaria]

They want so badly to attack Iran that any thing bad that happens on the globe, they are prepared to blame Iran.

[rollus7]

Very accurate and correct. We're tired of the Jews whining while they plunder Palestine and kill Palestinians.

[tvwatcher5345]

israel if you want to take out iran, go ahead i'm sure it will work out just well as it did when you tried to go after hezbolah in southern lebanon in 2006, when you whimmped out and went home with your tails between your legs and the US taxpayer was stuck paying to rebuild southern lebanon, their water supply, their electrical grid, etc, so if you want at iran, have at them, but leave the US out of it....also jonathan pollard will remain our guest

[retmw2]

Israel would have no problem taking out Iran, if the U.S. taxpayer dollars are paying for it.

[TimeToEvolve]

Of course they will blame Iran without any proof. Israel took lessons from the last Republicon administration the Bush Cheney Crime Family.