Hezbollah transferred $100,000 to Burgas bombing suspects, Bulgarian paper reports

Hezbollah’s military wing transferred about $100,000 to of the two suspects in last July’s bus bombing in Bulgaria that killed five Israelis and their local bus driver, a Bulgarian newspaper reported on Friday.

The money was allegedly wired to help fund the attack in the Black Sea resort town of Burgas and for intelligence operations in Bulgaria and other countries, wrote AFP, citing the local daily 24 Hours.

Bulgaria’s Interior Ministry on Thursday said the two suspects were identified as 32year-old Australian citizen Meliad Farah, also known as Hussein Hussein, and 25year-old Canadian citizen, Hassan el-Hajj Hassan.

Bulgarian foreign intelligence agencies and international financial institutions alleged the funds were transferred to the Burgas bombing suspects’ bank accounts in Australia and Canada, according to the report.

The two suspects were allegedly recruited while studying in Beirut in early 2010, and subsequently received military and explosives training, 24 Hours reported.

While Bulgaria has blamed the Shi’ite terrorist organization for the bombing in Burgas, Hezbollah denies any involvement.

Fueled by concerns over Hezbollah’s activities in Europe, EU governments – in a reversal of policy – agreed last Monday to put the Lebanese organization’s armed wing on the EU terrorism blacklist.

Benjamin Weinthal in Berlin and Reuters contributed to this report.