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U.K. fears more bombings

Hasan Suroor

Britain observes two-minute silence in memory of 7/7 victims

— Photo: AP

TRAGIC MEMORIES: A woman being consoled by a Salvation Army officer at the King's Cross Station Memorial Garden in London on Friday, the first anniversary of London bombings. — Photo: AP

LONDON: Britain was on Friday warned of more terror attacks as the nation came together in a show of unity against extremism on the first anniversary of the July 7 London bombings which claimed 52 lives and left hundreds injured, many of whom are still recovering.

The warning came through a videotape in which one of the four 7/7 suicide bombers, Shehzad Tanweer, was shown saying that the London attacks were only the "beginning''.

Tanweer, son of a Pakistani family from Leeds, blew himself up at Aldgate tube station on July 7, 2005, as part of a series of coordinated attacks on the London Underground, and one bus. In the video, believed to have been recorded several months before the attacks and telecast on Al-Jazeera on Thursday, Tanweer says: "What you have witnessed now is only the beginning of a string of attacks that will continue and become stronger until you pull your forces out of Afghanistan and Iraq, and until you stop your financial and military support to America and Israel.''

As experts studied the video for clues to who may have masterminded the London bombings, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ian Blair warned that more attacks were feared.

"I think there will be further attacks, in fact I know there will be further attacks. We are doing all we can to stop those, we've stopped three already," Sir Ian told the BBC.

Appealing to the Muslim community to help flush out extremists, said: "It is not the police or the intelligence services that will defeat the terrorists. It's the communities. They must be our eyes and ears on the streets and tell us about their concerns.''

Life across the country came to a standstill at 12 noon as people dropped whatever they were doing to join a two-minute silence in memory of the 7/7 victims. People laid flowers at the three tube stations where the attacks took place.

Prime Minister Tony Blair said: "It is a chance for the whole nation to come together to offer comfort and support to those who lost loved ones or were injured on that terrible day."

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