MADRID, July 11: The Al Qaeda ordered attacks on Europe in a May 29 Internet message that the Spanish secret service forwarded to their British counterparts at the weekend, a Spanish newspaper reported on Monday. The Spanish national intelligence centre (CNI) sent a copy of the Arabic-language message — signed by “Abu Hafs al Masri Brigades — European division” — on Saturday to the British intelligence service MI5, and it was also published on Saturday by the daily El Mundo.

The message, entitled “Letter to Mujahedeen in Europe”, states in part: “We now call on the mujahideen around the world to launch the expected attack”.

Spanish intelligence officials believe this was a reference to the attacks in London last Thursday, El Mundo wrote.

The group was the second Al Qaeda affiliate to claim responsibility for the London bombings, which killed at least 49 people and wounded some 700.

The same group claimed responsibility for the March 11, 2004, Madrid train bombings in which 191 people died, and twin bombings in Istanbul in Nov 2003 that killed 63 people.—AFP