LONDON, Oct 12: Gold prices remained steady on Friday afternoon in Europe, as concerns over a possible retaliatory attack on the United States over the weekend returned to the market, traders said.

Most market participants said gold prices had received a boost due to concern that the conflict in Afghanistan could escalate over the weekend.

Spot gold closed firmer at $282.00/282.75 an ounce, from $281.00/282.00 at the close in New York on Thursday. The metal was fixed in the afternoon at $281.80, from $282.85 an ounce on Friday morning.

The market was largely unaffected by news earlier on Friday that investment bank Credit Suisse First Boston would shut down its precious metals operations in London, New York and Sydney, traders said.—Reuters