Increased Police Presence at Bulgaria's Israeli-filled Resort

Increased police presence is reported in Bulgaria's top winter resort of Bansko with 50 policemen patrolling, and another 80 expected by the end of the month.

The information was reported Saturday by the Bulgaria "Trud" (Labor) daily. According to it, Defense Minister, Anyu Angelov, had given a permit to include one army company to assist security effort at the resort.

A large number of tourists from Israel are currently vacationing in Bansko.

On Thursday, Russian Israeli website IzRus, published information that the plot was unearthed by Bulgarian secret services, which promptly informed their Israeli colleagues.

The same day, Bulgaria's Interior Ministry refuted allegations that the level of security had been raised due to claims that Hezbollah might be planning attacks on Israeli citizens in the country.

The controversial information was officially rejected by the Foreign Ministry, which said Friday morning that it had received no such tip-off.

The reassurances were echoed Friday by Bulgarian Ministers of Defense, Transport and Economy.

Dani Shenar, Head of Security at the Israeli Transport Ministry, said in a Friday interview that a suspicious package found 3 days ago on a bus that was supposed to carry Israeli tourists from Turkey to Sofia was the reason why Israel requested a tightening of security measures around busses carrying groups of Israeli tourists between airports and hotels.

Meanwhile Israel's Anti-Terrorist Services stated they did not have any particular information about terrorist attacks in Bulgaria.

Bulgaria's Prime Minister, Boyko Borisov, called on media Friday to not publish sensational information about possible terrorist attacks in the country because such reports harm the country's tourism and its relations with the Arab world.