'Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades' claims London attacks

Reuters: A group claiming links to al Qaeda said on Friday it was behind the latest attack on London, warning it would not halt its strikes until foreign forces quit Iraq, according to an Internet statement.

"Our attack in the heart of the infidel British capital is nothing but a message to all European governments that we will not rest until all the infidel troops leave Iraq," said the statement by the Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades dated July 22.

"This is a warning to all those who follow the policies of the president of infidel America," it added, referring to U.S. President George W. Bush.

Friday's statement, like the previous claim from the group, did not appear on major al Qaeda Web sites. U.S. officials say the Abu Hafs al-Masri's links to al Qaeda are not clear.

The group has claimed many attacks in Europe in the past, including the 2004 Madrid train bombings. These claims have been discredited by security experts.

The same group claimed responsibility for the four bomb attacks in London two weeks ago which killed 56 people. British police on Friday were hunting down four bombers who struck at London's transport network in an apparently failed bid to repeat these attack. Read more