Bulgaria has released a computer-generated image of a suspected accomplice in the killing of five Israeli tourists and a Bulgarian driver in 18 July’s bus bombing in Burgas, and a photocopy of a fake driver's license he apparently has used in the country.
The attack in Burgas, a popular vacation resort for Israeli tourists on the Black Sea coast about 400 kilometers (250 miles) east of Sofia, occurred shortly after the Israelis had boarded a bus outside the city’s airport for the Sunny Beach resort..
Israel has accused Iran and its Lebanese proxy Hezbollah of being behind the bombing.
The image released is of a white, unshaven man, aged 25-30, with short dark hair. It is accompanied by a photocopy of a fake Michigan license, in which he appears to be wearing a wig. Police confirmed the license was fake and that it has been used by the accomplice.
Police also said that he may have used other identities as well, and asked people who might have seen him to report to the nearest police station.
The new photo appears to confirm earlier suspicions the bomber wasn’t working alone. Bulgaria Prime Minister Boyko Borisov has said that a sophisticated group of conspirators was involved in the suicide bombing, but the government has otherwise provided very little information about the ongoing investigation.
Earlier this month, Bulgaria asked member countries of the international police organization Interpol to publicize a computer-generated image of the suspected bomber. Interpol issued a Black Notice, which is used to seek information about unidentified corpses, to each of its 190 member countries, saying it is disseminating the image in hopes of engaging the public’s help in identifying the man.
Security camera footage just before the attack showed the suspected bomber wandering in and out of the bus terminal in Burgas, wearing a baseball cap over long hair, a T-shirt and plaid shorts.
Borisov has asked his British counterpart David Cameron, whom he met on Tuesday in London, for details about the version made public by the British government and other states that Iran and Hezbollah are behind the attack in Burgas.
After the meeting, the Bulgarian Prime Minister stated that David Cameron as well as senior Israeli officials have declared that they have information that Iran and Hezbollah are involved in the bombing.
"We haven't received any such information to date. I asked David Cameron to provide it to me if he has it because, I repeat, these are very strong accusations," Borisov was quoted as saying.
"I have asked everybody once again not to make any kinds of conclusions. As of today, we still have no information about the bomber... In this case, we have his head, face, perfectly preserved, we have a DNA profile and fingerprints. And nowhere in the databases around the world is there any information about this person," he added.