Somalia's Islamic courts on Friday criticized warnings issued by the United States that they may be planning suicide attacks in neighboring Kenya and Ethiopia.

The Supreme Council of Islamic Courts (SCIC) officials based in Mogadishu termed Thursday's warning from U.S. embassies in Kenya and Ethiopia "baseless."

"We have no plans to attack Kenya and Ethiopia, neither are we known to blow ourselves up. Suicide bombing is not a Somali culture, " Sheikh Yusuf Mohamed Siad, the SCIC's defense chief, reportedly said.

The U.S. embassies said in messages on Thursday it has received threats specifically mentioning the possibility of suicide bombings at prominent landmarks in Kenya and Ethiopia.

The United Nations-backed government has also blamed the attack on President Abdulahi Yusuf in September this year on the SCIC who denied responsibility.

The warning followed the collapse of Somali peace talks this week which has raised fears of an all out war between the SCIC and the interim government.

Source: Xinhua