A senior figure in Yemen’s al-Qaeda affiliate has claimed responsibility for last week’s deadly assault on the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, where two masked attackers killed 12 people, including key editorial staff and two police officers.
Nasr al-Ansi, a leading commander of al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), appeared in an 11-minute online video on Wednesday, declaring that the attack was carried out as “revenge for the Prophet.” He labelled France a member of the “party of Satan” and warned that more violence could follow. According to Ansi, AQAP selected the target, organised the plot, and funded the operation.
Charlie Hebdo had previously published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad, which many Muslims consider deeply offensive.
“We, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, take responsibility for this operation as retaliation for the Messenger of Allah,” Ansi said in the video titled “A message regarding the blessed battle of Paris.”
Formed in 2009 from the merger of al-Qaeda’s Yemeni and Saudi branches, AQAP is viewed by the United States as the most dangerous wing of the network, prompting years of American drone strikes against its leadership.
Ansi said the attack was executed under the direction of al-Qaeda’s top leader, Ayman al-Zawahiri. “The leadership of AQAP selected the target, designed the plan, and provided the funding… The chosen heroes carried it out,” he said, speaking over footage from the shooting.
Referencing a warning from former al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, Ansi added: “If your freedom of speech has no limits, then accept that our actions will have no limits.”
Another senior AQAP figure, Harith al-Nadhari, had also claimed responsibility days earlier, saying the assault was intended to show France the boundaries of free expression.
Charlie Hebdo had long provoked backlash for publishing cartoons satirising Muhammad and Islam.
On Wednesday, French President François Hollande stressed the need for unwavering resolve against armed groups. He also criticised the global community for failing to act quickly enough in Syria, allowing extremist organisations to expand.
The al-Qaeda statement came as Charlie Hebdo returned to newsstands with unprecedented demand, printing five million copies. The new cover portrays the Prophet Muhammad holding a “Je Suis Charlie” sign with the headline “All is forgiven.”
AQAP has previously carried out attacks beyond Yemen, including the failed Christmas Day 2009 attempt to bomb a US airliner. The group has also urged its followers to strike in France, which is part of the US-led coalition targeting Islamic State fighters in Iraq and Syria.
