DUBAI, April 30: Al Qaeda planned an attack on Jordanian intelligence services but not using chemical weapons as Amman has charged, according to a new audio tape purportedly from a leading Al Qaeda figure aired on Friday.

Jordan said earlier this week it had foiled a major attack that could have killed thousands. The tape purporting to be the voice of Abu Musab al Zarqawi accused Jordan of lying and of extracting "false" confessions from militants under torture.

Jordanian state television has aired what it said were confessions by captured militants linked to al Qaeda who said they had planned chemical attacks in Jordan, a key US ally.

"Yes, the plan was to totally destroy the building of the intelligence apparatus," the voice on the tape said in excerpts aired by Arab satellite television Al Arabiya on Friday. -Reuters