Bulgaria releases composite portrait of 'bus bomber helper'

Bulgarian police released Thursday a composite portrait of a suspected accomplice to the man who blew himself up near a bus packed with Israeli tourists at Burgas airport last month, killing six people. Two computer-generated picture shows a bulky-faced man with a dark complexion, almost-razed black hair and brownish eyes, who could have possibly worn glasses. Another picture published by police also Thursday came from a fake U.S. driver's licence from the state of Michigan possibly used by the same man. There he was pictured with shoulder-length brownish hair. The interior ministry statement said it had "evidence that the man is linked to the terrorist act at Burgas airport" and asked all people who might have seen him to report in the nearest police station. An accomplice theory has been gaining ground since shortly after the July 18 attack, whose perpetrator has also remained unidentified to date. Investigators have already released a computer-generated portrait of the presumed suicide bomber, based on pictures and data from coroners who examined his severed head found on the site of the attack. The portrait showed a young man in his late 20s or early 30s with fair skin, light-coloured eyes, high forehead and shortish dark brown hair. The image was circulated by global policing body Interpol and investigators have been trying to match DNA samples and fingerprints taken from the bomber's scattered remains with anything in international databases. Yet both the bomber and his suspected accomplice, who is still at large, have so far remained unidentified. The accomplice theory emerged after a car rental agent in the town of Pomorie, near Burgas, said he had refused to let a car to a suspicious "Arab-looking" young man with an obviously fake U.S. driver's licence the day before the attack. A recent survivor's testimony in the Israeli media also fed a theory that the explosive device might have actually been detonated from a distance by the bomber's helper after seeing him quarrel with two of his victims outside the bus. Israel has blamed Iran and its Lebanese ally Hezbollah for the attack, which killed five Israelis and their Bulgarian bus driver and injured more than 30 other tourists. Tehran has denied any involvement. Bulgarian officials have been careful not to side with Israel in pointing the finger at Hezbollah before there is any concrete evidence from the investigation.