An al-Qaida-linked group on Saturday claimed responsibility for a series of blasts in the Egyptian Red Sea resort of Sharm el-Sheikh, the al-Jazeera TV channel reported.

The group, calling itself the Al-Qaida Organization in the Levant and Egypt, claimed in a statement posted on an Islamic website, that "holy warriors targeted the Ghazala Gardens hotel and the Old Market in Sharm el-Sheikh."

The authenticity of the statement could not be verified. Three powerful bomb explosions hit the famous tourist resort
early Saturday, killing at least 75 people and wounded over 150.

Source: Xinhua