Al-Qaida in London, Berlin, leader warns

LONDON, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- Terrorist cells tied to al-Qaida are operating in Britain and Germany in preparation for commando raids on the cities, an al-Qaida leader claims.

Europe is on high alert following claims from a German national in custody in Afghanistan that al-Qaida fighters could launch an attack similar to the three-day siege in Mumbai in November 2008.

The German, Ahmad Sidiqi, is said to have revealed to his U.S. interrogators that terrorist cells were already sent to Britain and Germany to carry out commando raids, London's Daily Telegraph reports.

Sidiqi, a German national, allegedly met with Ilyas Kashmiri to discuss the Mumbai-style attacks. The one-eyed al-Qaida commander with ties to the 2008 raid is on the U.S. list of wanted terrorists.

The U.S. wants the commander for plotting attacks on Danish cartoonists with captured U.S. terrorism collaborator David Coleman Headley, who also has ties to the Mumbai plot.

A U.S. missile strike in Pakistan, meanwhile, killed five German militants. Intelligence officials said last week that a strike inside Pakistan disrupted a major European terror plot.

Paris remains on high alert following a war declaration against the North African branch of al-Qaida.

The United States, Great Britain, Asian allies and much of the European community issued travel alerts advising their citizens to remain vigilant in the face of the latest terrorism threat.