SOFIA - Five men and a female passer-by were injured when a bomb exploded near the vehicle the men were travelling in in the Bulgarian capital Sofia on Thursday, the interior ministry said, amid reports that the incident was the latest in a series of mafia-related attacks.
The five men were hospitalised in serious condition, and a 74-year-old woman who was passing by was also injured, national radio reported.
It said the device was probably detonated from a distance, and the blast was strong enough to break the windows of all the nearby buildings.
The interior ministry refused to disclose any names, but it was believed that the target of the bomb was Nikola Ivanov, nicknamed the "beaver" and the owner of the jeep in which the five were driving.
However Ivanov, who along with his brother are alleged to be deep in illegal activities such as robberies, burglaries and rape, was not in the jeep when the blast occurred, the radio said.
06/16/2005 16:44 GMT