Washington: An Al-Qaeda video claiming responsibility for the last week’s bloodshed at the French satirical newspaper was “authentic”, but US officials were cautious about holding the terrorist organisation responsible for the attack, a State Department spokesperson said.
“The (US) intelligence community has now determined that the Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) video is authentic,” said Marie Harf, adding that officials were still determining if the claim of responsibility was true, Xinhua reported Thursday.
“We hold the attackers responsible for the attacks clearly,” said Harf. “We’re still trying to get complete fidelity in the exact links.”
AQAP Wednesday claimed responsibility for the rampage that claimed 12 lives at the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo. In the video, the AQAP said the attack was masterminded and financed by the group. However, it did not claim responsibility for Friday’s deadly conflicts at Jewish Kosher grocery store in Paris.
Primarily operating in Yemen, AQAP is considered the most active of Al-Qaeda’s branches.
