A purported statement from an al-Qaeda-linked group vowed to carry out attacks in Europe after the expiry of a three-month truce offered by Osama bin Laden in April.
Bin Laden, in an audio tape on April 15th, extended a truce to Europeans if they withdrew troops from Muslim nations and said the offer would last three months.
"To the European people . . . you only have a few more days to accept bin Laden's truce or you will only have yourselves to blame," said the statement purported to be from Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades, which claimed responsibility for the March 11th bombings in Spain.
It was not immediately possible to verify the authenticity of the statement, parts of which were published by the London-based Asharq al-Awsatnewspaper today. The daily said the letter was dated July 1st.
"Muslims in the West should depart to Muslim states if they can," the letter said.
"Those who cannot should take precautions and live in Muslim areas, have enough food to last a month, find ways to protect themselves and their families, leave enough money in the house to last one month or longer and to pray a lot and put their fate in God's hands," it added.
Several European states had rejected the truce offer, which excluded the United States and Israel. The CIA has said the voice on the tape was "likely" that of Saudi-born bin Laden, whose group carried out the September 2001 attacks on US cities.