British Prime Minister Tony Blair said on Saturday that underlying causes of terrorism, including poverty, lack of democracy and conflict in the Middle East, must be addressed, the British Broadcasting Corp. (BBC) radio reported.

Terrorist attacks on London highlight the urgent need for the international community to deal with problems like deprivation, he told BBC.

"I think this type of terrorism has very deep roots," Blair said.

"As well as dealing with the consequences of this -- trying to protect ourselves as much as any civil society can -- you have to try to pull it up by its roots," he added.

That means improving understanding between people of different religions, helping people in the Middle East see a path to democracy and easing the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, he said.

"Ultimately what we now know, if we didn't before, is that where there is extremism, fanaticism or acute and appalling forms of poverty in one continent, the consequences no longer stay fixed in that continent, they spread to the rest of the world," said Blair.