Dubai - Al-Qaeda in Yemen has claimed
responsibility for the attack on Charlie Hebdo in a video posted online, saying
it was "vengeance" for the French weekly's cartoons of the Prophet
Muhammad.
"We, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, claim responsibility for this operation as vengeance for the messenger of Allah," one of the group's leaders, Nasser al-Ansi, said in the video titled: "A message regarding the blessed battle of Paris."
AQAP was formed in January 2009 as a merger of the Yemeni and Saudi branches of al-Qaeda. Washington regards it as the worldwide jihadist network's most dangerous branch and has carried out a sustained drone war against its leaders.
Ansi said the attack was ordered by Ayman Zawahiri, the network's global commander.
"The leadership of [AQAP] was the party that chose the target and plotted and financed the plan... It was following orders by our general chief Ayman al-Zawahiri," he said.
"The heroes were chosen and they answered the call," he said.
Speaking over footage of the attack that killed 12 people, Ansi said: "Today, the mujahideen avenge their revered prophet, and send the clearest message to everyone who would dare to attack Islamic sanctities."
AFP
"We, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, claim responsibility for this operation as vengeance for the messenger of Allah," one of the group's leaders, Nasser al-Ansi, said in the video titled: "A message regarding the blessed battle of Paris."
AQAP was formed in January 2009 as a merger of the Yemeni and Saudi branches of al-Qaeda. Washington regards it as the worldwide jihadist network's most dangerous branch and has carried out a sustained drone war against its leaders.
Ansi said the attack was ordered by Ayman Zawahiri, the network's global commander.
"The leadership of [AQAP] was the party that chose the target and plotted and financed the plan... It was following orders by our general chief Ayman al-Zawahiri," he said.
"The heroes were chosen and they answered the call," he said.
Speaking over footage of the attack that killed 12 people, Ansi said: "Today, the mujahideen avenge their revered prophet, and send the clearest message to everyone who would dare to attack Islamic sanctities."
AFP
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