Osama bin Laden's son calling for 'attack on major cities'?

The audio recording was shared by Jihadists on Twitter, and is the first such message from Hamza bin Laden (pictured here in an old file photo from a training video) is believed to be either 23 or 24 years old. Photo / Daily Telegraph UK

Al-Qaeda has released a message, purportedly from Osama bin Laden's son Hamza, calling for attacks on London and other western cities.

The audio recording was shared by Jihadists on Twitter, and is the first such message from Hamza bin Laden, who is believed to be either 23 or 24 years old.

He had not previously been put forth as an al-Qaeda spokesman, but he has been touted as a future leader of the terror network.

Letters found in Osama bin Laden's Abbottabad compound suggest that he was grooming Hamza as his successful prior to his death in 2011.

The group has been led since that time by Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was bin Laden's right hand man.

The message is not the first indication that Hamza bin Laden, bin Laden's youngest son, had joined al-Qaeda's ranks. He is believed to have taken part in attacks in Pakistan and Afghanistan as early as 2005.

In the message, a man al-Qaeda claim is Hamza calls for Jihad against America and its allies. He specifically suggests London, Washington, Paris and Tel Aviv as targets for attacks.

Following the 2011 US raid on the compound in Pakistan where Osama bin Laden was living, it was reported that Hamza had been killed alongside his father. White House officials announced his death, before further analysis showed that it was another son, Khaled, who had been killed.

It is unclear where Hamza was at the time of the raid, though it has been reported that he was at the compound but was able to escape. His current whereabouts are unknown.