Militant group threatens attacks on Southeast Asia on Web
(AP)
Updated: 2005-11-29 13:49

A militant group calling itself Al-Qaida's Southeast Asian Division has threatened to attack regional governments, and lauds two notorious terrorist leaders as "tigers of Islam."

In a Web site posting seen Tuesday, the previously unknown group warned Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia and the Philippines to expect attacks on government, military and economic targets, and urged Muslims to avoid those locations.

"All the things that we will do are savage acts against humans who do not want to believe in Allah," said the rambling 41,000 word posting entitled a "declaration of war."

Indonesian and Malay police said they had no information about the site or the Malay-language posting, which was dated October 5 and had a Kuala Lumpur dateline.

The statement refers to two of Asia's most notorious terror leaders _ Noordin Top and the recently slain Azahari bin Husin _ as "tigers of Islam." The two men are blamed for most of the bloodiest terror attacks in Southeast Asia, including the 2002 bombings on the Indonesian resort island of Bali.

The posting attacks Thailand for its crackdown on militants in the south of the country, quoting verses from the Muslim holy book to justify violence against soldiers there.

Militants in Southeast Asia have used Web sites to threaten attacks or justify bombings before. An Indonesian-language Web site only recently taken of the net by authorities gave instructions on how to assassinate foreigners in Jakarta.