The US embassy in Sofia has said the three US contractors hit by last week’s explosion at a firing range in Bulgaria are employees of a firm hired to work on programme to support moderate opposition forces in Syria, Reuters reported.

One US contractor was killed and two more were wounded when a rocket-propelled grenade malfunctioned at a firing range near the village of Anevo on Saturday. Two Bulgarians were also injured in the blast.

Reuters quoted the US embassy in Sofia as saying in a statement on Wednesday the contractors were working for Purple Shovel, a company hired by the US military's Special Operations Command to support the Combined Joint Interagency Task Force-Syria, the organization tasked with administering the US government-led programme to train and equip moderate opposition rebels in Syria.

"The three contractors were conducting familiarization training for other company employees at the time of the incident, " according to the statement.

The statement didn’t say what the training involved but according to a US military source, who spoke to Reuters on Tuesday, the contractors were preparing to obtain arms for the US-led effort to train moderate opposition forces to fight Islamic State militants in Syria.

US-based Purple Shovel says on its website that it “specializes in exceptional international logistics, bridging commercial-military relations, supporting worldwide stability operations, strategic procurement, supply chain optimization, community and commercial economic growth, and ensuring humanitarian assistance.”

We need your support so Novinite.com can keep delivering news and information about Bulgaria! Thank you!