TOKYO, July 8 (Xinhuanet) -- Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi said Thursday that the terrorist bombings in London will not have direct impact on the Self-Defense Forces' assistance mission in Iraq, and vowed to reinforce security measures at home, Kyodo News reported Friday.

    The premier is attending the Group of Eight summit in Gleneagles, Scotland.

    About 600 Japanese ground force troops are stationed at the southern Iraqi city of Samawah on an reconstruction aid mission due to end in December.

    Koizumi said Japan will examine the situation until the last minute in deciding whether to again extend the troops' mission.

    An al-Qaida-linked group has claimed responsibility for the simultaneous explosions in London subway and on a double-decker bus, which killed at least 37 people and left hundreds injured.

    The group noted that the attack was a retaliation for Britain's involvement in the US-led operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    Koizumi said no country can rule out the possibility of being subject to a terrorist attack and so Japan also "will have to maintain sufficient counter-terrorism measures."

    As a staunch ally of the United States, Japan has received warnings of being a terrorism target. There have been several abductions targeting Japanese in Iraq since the SDF troops embarked on the mission in December 2003. One of the six hostages was killed. Enditem