Al-Qaida's wing in Iraq said suicide attacks carried out in recent days proved the group was still strong and capable of pursuing its war against "infidels," according to an Internet statement posted Friday.

"What happened... and will happen in coming days is a response to infidel deceptions and claims that the mujahideen (holy fighters) are weaker and that their attacks have abated," said the statement attributed to the military commander of the al-Qaida Organization for holy war in Iraq, Abu Aseed al-Iraqi.

In a separate Internet statement, dated March 3, the group said its leader, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, would soon issue a message to the faithful.

The Jordanian militant's group has claimed the single bloodiest attack since the fall of Saddam Hussein - a suicide attack that killed 125 people in the town of Hilla on Monday.

It also said it was behind car bombs near Iraq's Interior Ministry in Baghdad on Thursday that killed at least five policemen and bombings on Wednesday which killed 13 Iraqi soldiers.

"Iraq's plains and deserts have turned into volcanoes erupting beneath the infidels and all around them," the military commander said in the statement posted on an Islamist website.

"We call on all Muslims who cherish their faith to strike with the sword," said the group which has led the insurgency against US-led forces and the Iraqi Government.

Iraqi authorities say they have captured a number of Zarqawi's aides and associates, but the group has dismissed the reports and said US-led forces wanted to boost low morale.

Zarqawi, the deputy of al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden in Iraq, is the US military's most wanted man in Iraq.

Washington has said it learned that bin Laden, who is held responsible for the September 11, 2001 attacks on US cities, had asked Zarqawi to plan attacks in the United States.

Meanwhile, a new online magazine purportedly posted by al-Qaida's affiliate in Iraq has launched an effort to recruit Muslims to rid Iraq of infidels and apostates - its names for Americans and their Iraqi partners.

The colourful, well-designed magazine is named Zurwat al-Sanam, Arabic for "The Tip of the Camel's Hump" - a reference among Islamic militants to "the epitome of belief and virtuous activity."

The authenticity of such magazines is hard to verify.

Experts said many of the new magazine's articles appeared to conform with bin Laden and al-Qaida ideology.

Cairo-based Islamic expert Mohamed Salah said it appeared credible because of "the language and production" involved.

"Experience has shown that they (militants) have become very qualified in using the Internet," Salah said.

(China Daily March 5, 2005)