Italian Interior Minister Giuseppe Pisanu said in Rome Thursday that all of Europe was on a state of high alert after a series of explosions in London in the morning.
Pisanu said at least 50 people had died as a result of the attacks in London while other reports reaching here had put the number of confirmed deaths at two, with nearly 100 injured. The minister declined to disclose his source of information.
Pisanu expressed his conviction that terrorists were to blame for the attacks, which occurred shortly before 9:00 a.m. local time, a rush hour moment in downtown London.
The attacks were probably the "work of international terrorists, " he said.
"Italian anti-terrorist experts have already met and we have opened full channels of cooperation with England," he continued. " We must stay calm and be strong, facing this outbreak of violence with appropriate legislation and the power of democracy."
"This huge tragedy reignites the terrorist alarm, requiring all international operations against terrorism to be stepped up," he said. "Italy believes there should be closer collaboration between European countries, not only in terms of exchanging information and cooperation between our security services but also in terms of the use and availability of weapons, munitions and explosions."
Pisanu added that Italian intelligence services had reported a potential resurgence in terrorism in recent months.
Meanwhile, the Italian news agency ANSA reported that a militant group claiming responsibility for the attacks in London has suggested that Italy could be the next target.
A message posted on an Egyptian website by the self-proclaimed "the secret Jihad Group for al-Qaeda in Europe" said the six explosions on the London transport system had come in response to "Britain's massacre in Iraq and Afghanistan."
"Italy and Denmark should withdraw their troops from Iraq and Afghanistan," said the brief statement.
Italy and Denmark have both said they will keep their troops in Iraq until the establishment of democracy there.
Italy did not participate in the war on Iraq but now has some 3, 000 troops deployed there, mainly as part of a Britain-led multinational stabilization force in the southern part of the country.
Some 500 Italian troops are serving in Afghanistan as part of a multinational peace-keeping force there.