LUXEMBOURG (AFP) - The European Union pressed the United States on Thursday to give more details behind a Europe-wide travel alert issued over fears of potential terror strikes.

"I think it is very important to obtain more information because it is the first time that the United States issues a statement for all of Europe," said Belgian interior minister Annemie Turtelboom, whose country holds the EU rotating presidency.

Turtelboom spoke to reporters in Luxembourg ahead of a meeting between EU interior ministers and US Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Jane Holl Lute in Luxembourg later Thursday.

Holl Lute decided to attend a regular meeting of European ministers four days after the US State Department issued a travel alert warning "of the potential for terrorist attacks in Europe."

The US alert does not name any particular country.

Since then, Britain, Japan, Sweden and France have issued their own travel alerts.

Germany Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere has criticised the alerts, saying public announcements help terrorists "spread fear."

French intelligence officials, citing a US tip-off, said on Wednesday that a group of 25 Islamist extremists from EU countries is planning to return to Europe after combat training in the Afghan-Pakistani border region.

US intelligence services alerted their counterparts in Europe to the group's activities "a few weeks" ago and the warning was reiterated by British authorities, an official said.

Western security officials have warned that Al-Qaeda may be planning attacks in Europe similar to those that struck Mumbai in 2008.

In that assault, 10 militants from the Al-Qaeda-linked group Lashkar-e-Taiba mowed down unarmed civilians at targets across the Indian city after arriving by boat from Karachi, leaving 166 dead.

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