Hackers shut down Al-Qaeda's net communication

Computer hackers have reportedly disrupted Al-Qaeda''s ability to communicate via the Internet, an anti terror expert has said

"Al-Qaeda''s online communications have been temporarily crippled, and it does not have a single trusted distribution channel available on the Internet," Fox News quoted Evan Kohlmann, of Flashpoint Global Partners, which monitors the group''s communications, as saying.

It was "well coordinated and involved the use of an unusual cocktail of relatively sophisticated techniques," Kohlmann said.

"My guess is that it will take them at least several days more to repair the damage and get their network up and functioning again," Kohlmann added.

The identity of the hackers was not known.

According to the report, last year, Al-Qaeda suffered a similar hack attack when British spies hacked into the group''s website and replaced instructions on how to build bombs with cupcake recipes.