Bulgaria Names Suspects in Bombing That Killed Israelis
Deadly Scene: A map of the airport in Burgas, Bulgaria, where several Israeli tourists were reportedly killed in a bus explosion. Image by Haaretz
Bulgaria released the names and photographs of two people it says carried out the Burgas bombing last July that killed five Israelis and their Bulgarian bus driver.
The suspects were identified as Meliad Farah, a 32-year-old Australian also known as Hussein Hussein, and Hassan el-Hajj Hassan, a 25-year-old Canadian. Both are said to be associated with Hezbollah, the Lebanon-based terrorist group; both also hold Lebanese citizenship.
In the days leading up to the attack, the suspects were seen in the Bulgarian cities of Ruse, Varna, Nesebar and Ravda, according to the Bulgarian Interior Ministry. Bulgarian authorities also said the two men registered at hotels and rented cars in the Burgas area using false names.
The suspects are now believed to be in Lebanon. A Bulgarian source familiar with extradition cases between Lebanon and Bulgaria told the Jerusalem Post that Lebanese authorities generally have not been cooperative in cases of deportation requests from Eastern European countries.
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