Responsibility for the deadly attack on the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo that killed 12 people was taken by the Al Qaeda’s branch in Yemen. The target was chosen by the Qaeda leadership and the attackers were referred as two heroes of Islam. The news paper attack continued for three days which saw five more people being killed in what is now labeled as the French equivalent of the September 11, 2001 attack on the US.

The statement which was carried by the publication arm of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula based in Yemen indicated that the stack was carried out on Charlie Hebdo in retaliation for the frequent caricatures lampooning the Prophet Muhammad featured in the satirical magazine.

The statement also said that the attack was ordered by Qaeda leader, Ayman al-Zawahri keeping in mind the vision of his predecessor, Osama Bin Laden.

The Qaeda statement said that “the one who chose the target, laid the plan and financed the operation is the leadership of the organization.”