Al-Qaeda threatens to escalate attacks in North Africa
Pastor Dale Morgan
Al-Qaeda threatens to escalate attacks in North Africa*
AFP - Tuesday, July 24
DUBAI (AFP) - - Al-Qaeda threatened in an Internet statement on Monday
to escalate attacks against the "enemies of Allah" in North African
countries, warning Muslims to stay away from government sites.
"The Mujahedin (holy warriors)... have many hidden surprises for the
enemies of Allah in the countries of the Islamic Maghreb, which will
come in an escalating sequence," said the Al-Qaeda Movement in the
Islamic Countries of the Maghreb.
"We call upon all our Muslim brothers to stay away from the centres of
the infidels and official apostates, as well as security (gatherings) of
army and police," it added in the statement posted on a website used by
Islamic militant groups.
"The Mujahedin are determined to target their quarters, centres and
barracks with all available means of detonation, bombing and
demolition," added the statement whose authenticity could not be verified.
The statement also claimed that many attacks on military targets had
been cancelled "only due to the presence of Muslims."
The group -- formerly the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC)
-- last week claimed it had killed or wounded "no less than 25" Algerian
troops in three coordinated attacks in Algeria's Kabylie region.
It also claimed responsibility for a deadly suicide bombing this month
on an Algerian army barracks near Lakhdaria, 80 kilometres (50 miles)
east of the capital, which killed 10 soldiers and injured 35.
Together with bombings in neighbouring Morocco, the attacks in Algeria
have revived Western fears of Islamist militants gaining a foothold in
North Africa from where they could launch attacks into Europe and beyond.