Al Qaeda in Yemen has claimed responsibility for the attack on the offices
Charlie Hebdo, which left 12 people dead, in a new video posted online.
Nasser al Ansi, one of the chiefs of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula
(AQAP), said the Paris attack was carried out in retaliation for the satirical
magazine's publication of images depicting the Prophet Mohammed.
He said the attackers - identified as Said and Cherif Kouachi - were acting on the
orders of al Qaeda's global commander, Ayman al Zawahiri.
In the video, entitled "A message regarding the blessed battle of
Paris", al Ansi said: "We, al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula,
claim responsibility for this operation as vengeance for the messenger of
Allah.
"The leadership of (AQAP) was the party that chose the target and
plotted and financed the plan.
"The heroes were chosen and they answered the call.
"Congratulations to you, the Nation of Islam, for this revenge that has
soothed our pain.
"Congratulations to you for these brave men who blew off the dust of
disgrace and lit the torch of glory in the darkness of defeat and agony."
He also warned of more "tragedies and terror" in the future.
It has not been possible to immediately verify the authenticity of the
video, however it carried the logo of the al Qaeda's media group al Malahem.
AQAP recently called for its supporters to carry out attacks in France
and is the same group which communicated with the men who killed Fusilier Rigby
in London in May 2013.
The video comes as the first edition of Charlie Hebdo published since the
massacre hit the newsstands.
It features another image of the Prophet Mohammed on its front cover. The
cartoon has tears in his eyes, holding a "Je Suis Charlie" sign under
the headline "All Is Forgiven".
The so-called "survivors' issue" sold
out within hours.
New video has also emerged of the Kouachi brothers on the streets of Paris after last week's
attack.
The footage shows the two masked figures calmly returning to their getaway
vehicle moments after murdering eight journalists, including the magazine's
editor, and four others.
The pair reload their weapons, before one shouts: "We have avenged the
Prophet Mohammed, we have killed Charlie Hebdo."
Both claimed to have trained with AQAP before they were shot dead in a
police raid.
Amedy Coulibaly - who is accused of killing a policewoman and then shooting
four people at a kosher supermarket in Paris - said he was coordinating with
the brothers but claimed to have been associated with Islamic State.
The gunmen were known to French intelligence agencies and had been on a US
terror watch list for some time.
French Prime Minister Manuel Valls has now declared a "war against
terrorism".
He said: "France is at war against terrorism, jihadism, radicalism...
(not) Islam and Muslims.
"I don't want Jews in this country to be scared, or Muslims to be
ashamed."
He also called for France's intelligence and anti-terrorism laws to be
strengthened and for "clear failings" addressed.
France has since announced that 54 people have been detained for defending
or glorifying terrorism.
They include controversial comedian Dieudonne,
who was arrested over a Facebook comment which appeared to be sympathetic to
the gunmen.
Meanwhile funerals have taken place in Paris and Jerusalem for
some of the 17 killed in the terror attacks, which included three police
officers.
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