BREAKING: Bomb threat at Sofia, Bulgaria airport shuts down terminal

A bomb-sniffing dog detected an apparent explosive device inside a van parked outside Terminal 1 of Sofia’s airport, leading to the evacuation of the terminal and re-routing of planes as authorities deployed counter-terrorism squads to contain the threat.

While this incident is ongoing, Hristo Shterionov, Executive Director of Sofia Airport, has stated that the van was parked at 1am, and the van owner, who he described as “non-Bulgarian,” left the airport at 5am. Reports state that the van has Belgian license plates.

Bulgarian police have carried out a controlled explosion and secured the terminal.  However, flights will continue to be routed to other terminals while the investigation continues.

Sofia is a transit point for migrants coming into Europe, with approximately 6,000 arriving in the past year.

The Black Sea resort town of Burgas was the scene of suicide bombing carried out by a Hezbollah cell in 2012 that killed 5 Israelis and 1 Bulgarian.  The Lebanese Shia terrorist organization has had a strong and active European presence since the 1980’s, and a plot to bomb a Bulgarian ski resort was uncovered 6 months before the Burgas attack.

The fact that the van is reported to have a Belgian license plate raises suspicions of a connection to the Molenbeek Islamic State cell that carried out the Paris attacks, but it may also signal an attempt at deception by other actors.