The al-Qaeda group led by America's deadliest foe in Iraq yesterday claimed bombings that ripped through luxury hotels in Jordan's capital and killed 57 people.

In Wednesday night's closely synchronized attacks, two bombs exploded while crowds were celebrating weddings, leaving blood and destruction at Amman's Grand Hyatt and the nearby Radisson SAS. A third blast targeted a Days Inn hotel.

al-Qaeda in Iraq, led by Jordanian

militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, said in a statement on an Islamist website that "a group of our best lions" had carried out the attacks.

"Some hotels were chosen which the Jordanian despot had turned into a backyard for the enemies of the faith, the Jews and crusaders," said the message in a reference to King Abdullah. Its authenticity could not be verified.

The United States has put a $25 million bounty on Zarqawi, who comes from a town north of Amman.

Police said they thought the blasts

were the work of suicide bombers. Simultaneous attacks are an al-Qaeda hallmark and US officials said they also suspected the network.

King Abdullah blamed a "deviant and misled group." While Foreign Minister Farouq Kasrawi said the attacks would not alter the policies of the kingdom, which is a close US ally.

al-Qaeda in Iraq's statement said: "Let the tyrant of Amman know that his protection...for the Jews has become a target for the Mujahideen and their attacks, and let him expect the worst."

Jordan is one of two Arab countries that have signed peace treaties with Israel. It helped the United States in the war on Iraq.

Jordan had previously been spared major attacks, despite its proximity to Iraq and popularity as a tourist destination, but the authorities were braced for trouble.

"The initial investigations so far show that the blasts that caused the deaths of 57 people and wounded 110 people were executed by explosive devices and suicide bombings," a Jordanian cabinet statement said.

The violence in Iraq has forced many UN agencies and private relief groups to relocate to Amman, which also hosts about 400,000 Iraqis who have fled the mayhem, bringing valuable investment to the country.