Osama bin Laden is planning a new terror attack on the United States, a former bodyguard of the al-Qaida chief said on Thursday.

The bodyguard, Abu Jandal, told the CBS news magazine "60 Minutes" that the threat of another terror strike issued by bin Laden in January should be taken seriously.

"When Sheik Osama promises something, he does it, " Jandal said. "So I believe Osama bin Laden is planning a new attack inside the United States, this is certain."

In a January audiotape released by the Al-Jazeera Arabic television network, bin Laden warned that assaults on the U.S. "heartland" were being prepared.

Jandal added that bin Laden would not be caught alive as he has designated a "special gun" to be shot with in the case of imminent capture.

Jandal followed bin Laden in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2000 and lives in Yemen now. He believed bin Laden was in Afghanistan rather than Pakistan.

The CBS program will be broadcast on Sunday.

Source: Xinhua