MONUMENT TO VICTIMS OF 2012 BURGAS TERROR ATTACK

Luckily for Bulgaria, it rarely makes its way into international headline news. One such instance, unfortunately, was on 18 July 2012. 

In the afternoon of that day an airplane carrying Israeli tourists landed at Bulgaria's busiest airport at the Black Sea. The visitors collected their luggage and headed toward three buses that were supposed to bring them to their hotels at the Sunny Beach resort, a few miles to the north. The buses were still parked as a bomb went off, at 5.23pm. 

Seven people were killed, including the Bulgarian driver of one of the buses, and 35 were injured. 

Investigators were quick to converge on Burgas. Security cameras revealed the bomb was planted in one of the buses' holds by a man carrying a backpack. That man had lingered on in the terminal and later mingled with the tourists as they headed outside. He was killed in the blast. 

The investigation concluded three men were responsible for the attack. They lived in Lebanon and travelled on Australian and Canadian passports. Years later the Bulgarians conceded the attack had been masterminded by Hezbollah, a claim the Israeli government had held throughout. Iran, another culprit fingered by Israel, has not admitted any responsibility. The two surviving perpetrators were never arrested.