Bomber came from Turkey, Israeli ex-counterterrorism chief claims

This image taken from CCTV provided by the Bulgarian Interior Ministry Thursday July 19, 2012 who claim it shows the unidentified bomber, center, with long hair and wearing a baseball cap, at Burgas Airport in Burgas, Bulgaria on Wednesday, July 18, 2012. AP Photo

A suicide bomber suspected of killing himself and seven others – at lease five of them Israelis – in an attack yesterday in the Bulgarian Black Sea city of Burgas may have come from Turkey, according to the former head of Israel's counterterrorism bureau.

Nitzan Nuriel said the bomber may have been chosen from Bulgaria's Muslim community or may have crossed over from Turkey, according to the Jerusalem Post.

“They could have relied on the local Muslim community or [the attacker could have] crossed into Bulgaria from Turkey. It is quite easy," Nuriel was quoted as saying.

Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has said Iranian-backed Hezbollah was behind the killing, while Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also accused Tehran of carrying out the killing.