BULGARIA Police seek ID of bomber

Associated Press

BURGAS, Bulgaria

He looked like any other impatient tourist checking the big board at airport arrivals: a lanky, long-haired man in a baseball cap with his hands in the pockets of his plaid Bermuda shorts, a bulky backpack hanging from his shoulders.

Minutes later, authorities say, the man, filmed by security cameras at the Burgas airport, would board a bus filled with young Israeli tourists and blow himself up, killing six others as well.

Authorities looked Thursday for clues as to who he was, using his fingerprints, his DNA and his fake Michigan driver’s license.

Despite the uncertainty, Israel was quick to blame Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah for the attack Wednesday.

The victims included the Bulgarian bus driver and five Israelis, including a pregnant woman.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the bombing “was carried out by Hezbollah, the long arm of Iran.”

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast called the accusation “baseless,” saying it was aimed at diverting world attention from Israel’s role in the assassination of Iranian nuclear scientists.

Israel has attributed a series of attacks on its citizens around the world in recent months to Iran and its Shiite proxies, threatening to escalate a shadow war between the two arch- enemies that has escalated over Israeli allegations that the Iranians are trying to build nuclear weapons.