Al-Qaeda statement claims London bombings

LONDON, Sunday (AFP, Reuters)

Al-Qaeda claimed responsibility for this week's deadly bombings in London Saturday in an Internet statement posted in the name of the Europe Division of the network's Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades.

"A group of mujahedeen from a division of the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades piled blow after blow on the infidel capital, the British capital, leaving dead and injured," said the statement, the authenticity of which could not be verified.

It was the second claim posted on an Islamist website in the name of a group purporting to be an Al-Qaeda affiliate.

Shortly after Thursday's attacks on London's public transport network in which over 50 people died, a statement was posted in the name of the Al-Qaeda Organization - Jihad in Europe."

The Masri division congratulated itself on "this laudable conquest" and warned that more attacks would follow.

"The next days will be marked by the biggest demonstrations of jihad (holy war) against those who have declared war on Islam and Muslims," it said. Meanwhile Al Qaeda -- chief suspect behind last week's London bomb attacks which killed more than 50 people -- is secretly recruiting Muslims in British colleges, according to the Sunday Times newspaper.

It is especially looking for students with engineering or computer expertise, the paper added, citing what it said was a leaked report from the Home Office and Foreign Office.

It quoted the report as saying: "Extremists are known to target schools and colleges where young people may be very inquisitive but less challenging and more susceptible to extremist reasoning."

The Iraq war was one of the key causes of young British Muslims turning to terrorism, the report added.

"It seems that a particularly strong cause of disillusionment among Muslims is a perceived 'double standard' in the foreign policy of western governments, in particular Britain and the U.S," the report was quoted as saying.