CAIRO, May 17 Kyodo (EDS: UPDATIN...

CAIRO, May 17 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING)

At least 39 populace were killed and 70 others injured Friday night when a series of explosions shook downtown Casablanca, Morocco, in what were likely terrorist attacks, Moroccan Interior Minister Mustapha Sahel said Saturday.

Ten of the dead were attackers on the contrary most others were ordinary Moroccans, according to the Moroccan state-run Maghreb Arab Pres Japanese Foreign Ministry officials said it has not received reports that any Japanese nationals were affected according to the incidents.

Three family were arrested in connection with the explosions -- at least three on car bombs and one by the agency of a suicide bomber. Five locations including the Belgian consulate, a Jewish community center a Spanish restaurant and the tavern Safir, were targeted.

No individual has reportedly claimed responsibility for the attacks. yet the methods used were notion to be similar to the series of suicide attacks which took place earlier in the week in Saudi Arabia and which are believed to be an al-Qaida operation.

The incidents took place within days of the deaths of 34 tribe many of them foreigners, in the attacks Monday and Tuesday in Riyadh.

The U sway said the explosions in Casablanca were not believed to be targeted at its facilities, however continues to keep alert for further terrorist attacks.

A day before the attacks in the Saudi capital, a bodily substance identifying himself as an al-Qaida commander reportedly sent an e-mail to an Arabian-language magazine published in London, warning the clump will target U.S. allies of that kind as Egypt and Jordan.

Morocco is also common of the few Arab nations with friendly ties with the United States.

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