Terrorism analysts have dismissed a website message posted by a previously unknown group warning the governments of the United States, Thailand and their allies of imminent "annihilation".

The lengthy message in Malay and Indonesian posted on Oct 5 in Kuala Lumpur was a "threat of annihilation to the infidel regimes of Thailand, America and their allies".

It also warned Muslims in the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia to avoid public places, diplomatic offices, police and military stations.

"All these locations are targets of the next attacks. Try to stay away from these locations if possible," it said, also telling non-Muslims to "throw away your ego, put away your savagery or you shall truly regret the negative consequences of your actions".

The message was signed by Abu Ukkasyah Al-Arabi, who claimed to be the chief commander of the Mujahidin Operational Centre, a previously unknown group.

Rohan Gunaratna, head of terrorism research at Singapore's Institute for Defence and Strategic Studies, said the threat had no basis.

"It is a fictitious group that does not exist. They have no credibility whatsoever," he told AFP.

"It is a group of jihadists behind the website, but they have no capability to mount terrorist attacks. It is a group of propagandists driven by the misinterpretation of jihad. They don't pose a physical threat. The Al-Qaeda group in Southeast Asia has been severely disrupted."

But Gunaratna said the website must be shut down.

"The website is hosted in the United States and it is registered to a Malaysian address. Both the Malaysians and the Americans must take action."

Dangerous attitude

Indonesian analysts too said the threats were probably empty, but said they demonstrated a dangerous psychological attitude that could be spread by other diehard militants.

"I think the website poses a serious psychological threat and we have to consider it as a serious threat to Muslims in our country" as it may spur militant activity, said political analyst Kusnanto Anggoro from Jakarta's Centre for Strategic and International Studies.

"The real danger is that this message, once read by a militant who has access to the Internet, can further spread the wrong message to his own followers in this country."

Indonesia was hit by its first-ever suicide bombings on Oct 1, when three men blew themselves up in busy eateries on the resort island of Bali, killing 20 bystanders.

It has also endured a string of attacks blamed on the Al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiyah network, including the 2002 Bali bombings which killed 202 people, mostly Western holiday makers.