Australian terror suspect named
A YEAR on from the suicide bombing that claimed the lives of five Israelis in Bulgaria, that country’s Ministry of Interior has released an image of an Australian man wanted in connection with the terror attack.
A YEAR on from the suicide bombing that claimed the lives of five Israelis in Bulgaria, that country’s Ministry of Interior has released an image of an Australian man wanted in connection with the terror attack.
Thirty-two-year-old Australian national Maliad Fara, also known as Hussein Hussein, and 25-year-old Canadian Hassan El Hajj Hassan are understood to have helped carry out the attack in which a suicide bomber detonated a device on board a bus full of Israeli tourists in the coastal town of Burgas.
The blast also claimed the life of the Bulgarian bus driver while the remains of another man, believed to be the suicide bomber, was also found at the scene.
Immediately following the bloody blast, Israel accused Hezbollah of carrying out the attack, the deadliest against Israelis on foreign soil, a fact later confirmed by Bulgarian authorities. Both Fara and Hassan are believed to have links to the radical Shi’ite group.
A statement from the Interior Ministry released last week called for anyone with information to come forward.
“The authorities are sending an appeal for cooperation … regarding two individuals, who are suspected of having link[s] with the bombing.”
It went on to guarantee anonymity for people who volunteer information about the men.
A spokesperson for Foreign Minister Bob Carr told The AJN the Australian government condemned “all acts of political violence and terrorism”.
“We welcome Bulgaria’s continuing progress as it leads the investigation into the 2012 attack.
“The [Australian Federal Police (AFP)] continues to provide support to the Bulgarian authorities in relation to their investigation into the bus bombing.”
A representative from the AFP said that while the Bulgarian authority is the “lead agency in this investigation”, it is assisting “in relation to the alleged involvement of an Australian citizen in this incident”.
“The AFP is committed to countering the ongoing and enduring threat of terrorism and to ensuring the safety and security of the community,” the statement read.
According to Bulgarian investigators, Fara and Hassan checked into hotels just days prior to the attack using fake names including Brian Jeremiah Jameson, Jacque Felipe Martin and Ralph William Rico. It was also revealed the pair rented cars in the nearby village of Ravda.
Meanwhile, US website The Long War Journal is reporting that Facebook accounts, which could be linked to Fara, have been active as recently as Monday, when a post praising deceased Hezbollah spiritual leader Muhammad Hussein Fadlallah appeared.
ADAM KAMIEN
An image of Australian national Maliad Fara.
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