Sunday, April 9 2006 10:32 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

London: Contrary to original suspicion, Al-Qaeda played no part in the London bombings which were planned on a shoestring budget with information obtained from the internet, the leaked findings of an inquiry into the atrocity revealed today (Apr 09, 2006).

Reporting the leak, The Observer newspaper said the government investigation into the attacks concluded that it was the product of a 'simple and inexpensive' plot hatched by four British suicide bombers 'bent on martyrdom'.

"Far from being the work of an international terror network, as originally suspected, the attack was carried out by four men who had scoured terror sites on the internet. Their knapsack bombs cost only a few hundred pounds," the newspaper said.

The paper cited the first draft of the government's definitive report into the blasts. The findings are to be published in full in a few weeks.

The probe also revealed that there was no 'fifth bomber' as was suspected following the discovery of an explosive knapsack in the car used by the four attackers and abandoned at a station north of London.

Siddique Khan, Hasib Hussain, Shehzad Tanweer and Jermaine Lindsay were the four suicide bombers.

As for any possible support from Al-Qaeda, the inquiry dismisses a tape of Khan, that emerged after the attacks, which also featured Osama bin Laden's deputy Ayman al-Zawahari. "The Home Office believes the tape was edited after the suicide attacks," the weekly paper said.

However, the four suicide bombers were inspired by Khan's trips to Pakistan, the paper added.