Israeli tourists among 7 killed in Bulgarian bus bombing; Netanyahu blames Iran

At least seven people, including five Israelis, were killed and dozens injured by an explosion Wednesday on a bus carrying Israeli tourists near the airport of the Bulgarian city of Burgas, a coastal city on the Black Sea, Bulgarian media reported.

At least two other vehicles were on fire as the result of the explosion, the report added.

Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry claimed it was a terrorist attack.

According to Israeli media, about 30 people are wounded, four of them seriously, quoting Bulgarian TV. It said that a suicide bomber boarded the bus before the explosion occurred, but other reports said the explosion came from the vehicle's luggage hold.

Bulgarian health officials said that the death toll is expected to rise as more than 6 people are critically wounded. They are in intensive care unit.

For his part, Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, blamed Iran for the deadly attack, warning that Israel would “respond forcefully” to strikes by Tehran.

“All the signs lead to Iran and Israel will respond forcefully to Iranian terror," Netanyahu said in a statement.

"Eighteen years exactly after the blast at the Jewish community centre in Argentina, murderous Iranian terror continues to hit innocent people. This is an Iranian terror attack that is spreading throughout the entire world. Israel will react powerfully against Iranian terror," Netanyahu added, Reuters news reported.

Furthermore, the Israeli Embassy in Bulgaria said in a stement that Israel will send a medical team to Burgas as Israel's Ambassador in Bulgaria is on his way to the Burgas Airport.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack so far and the cause of the incident is still under investigation as Israel and Bulgaria agreed to cooperate closely in investigating the attack, Bulgarian officials told Al-arabiya TV.