Qaeda's North Africa wing says holding Austrian tourists

By Tarek Amara

TUNIS (Reuters) - Al Qaeda said on Monday it had kidnapped two Austrian tourists in Tunisia on February 22, linking its action to an Israeli offensive in Gaza, and suggested it had since moved the captives to neighbouring Algeria.

Tunisia said it had launched an air and land search for the Austrians, but it had no proof they were still on its territory.

Al Jazeera television aired an audio recording by a man who identified himself as Salah Abou-Mohammad -- a spokesman for al Qaeda Organisation in the Islamic Maghreb -- who said the group would announce soon its terms for the release of the hostages.

A separate al Qaeda statement suggested the group had taken the two across the border into Algeria, al Qaeda's north Africa base and a mostly-desert country 4-1/2 times the size of France.

Abou-Mohammad said the two were in good condition but warned Westerners against visiting the north African state, which attracts tourists from many European countries.

Western tourists were "searching for pleasures in Tunisia while our folk in Gaza are being slaughtered by the Jews with consent from Western countries whose governments are killing our brothers in every (Muslim) country", he said.

Israel last week ended an offensive which killed 120 Palestinians in Gaza.

Austrian media have identified the tourists as Andrea Kloiber, 43, and Wolfgang Ebner, 51 -- a couple from near Salzburg. Abou-Mohammad said they were a nurse and a consultant and gave similar-sounding names.