Unknown group says London attacks by Qaeda-reports

LONDON (Reuters) – A previously unknown group claimed
responsibility in the name of al Qaeda for a series of deadly
blasts in London, two news organizations reported on Thursday.

The “Secret Group of al Qaeda’s Jihad in Europe” claimed
responsibility for the attack in a Web site posting and warned
Italy and Denmark to withdraw their troops from Iraq and
Afghanistan, the Italian news agency ANSA and al-Quds al-Arabi
newspaper said.

The claim, also sent by email to the London-based daily,
could not be verified and did not appear on any of the main Web
sites normally used by al Qaeda.

“Heroic fighters of the Arab nation, it is time for revenge
against the crusader and Zionist British government, in
response to the massacre carried out by Great Britain in Iraq
and Afghanistan,” ANSA quoted the message as saying on a site
it named as “el qal3ah.com.”

“Our mujahideen have carried out a blessed invasion in
London and here is Britain now burning with fear and terror…
We have repeatedly warned Britain and have kept our promise.”

It said the attacks took a long time to plan and required
huge efforts in order to ensure their success.

“We are still warning the governments of Denmark and Italy
that they will receive the same punishment if they do not pull
out their troops from Iraq and Afghanistan,” said the statement
provided in Arabic to Reuters by al-Quds al-Arabi newspaper.

The overall casualty toll in the London blasts was unclear.
CNN said 10 people were killed in an explosion at King’s Cross
station, and police said two people were killed in a blast at
Aldgate East underground station.

Emails sent by shadowy militant groups claiming
responsibility for attacks in Europe have in the past proved to
be unsubstantiated.

After the 2004 Madrid bombings a group claiming links to al
Qaeda, the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades, sent al-Quds al-Arabi an
email claiming responsibility for the blasts which had not been
officially linked to them.