New York, London, Washington Next on List after Paris: Al-Qaeda in Yemen

The al-Qaeda in Yemen, which has claimed responsibility for the terror attack on the office of French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo, has threatened similar strikes in other cities in the West, including New York, London and Washington.

In a new video posted on YouTube, the al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) said the Paris attack was "vengeance" for insulting Prophet Mohammed.

"As for the blessed Battle of Paris, we, the Organisation of al Qaeda al Jihad in the Arabian Peninsula, claim responsibility for this operation as vengeance for the Messenger of God," al-Qaeda leader Nasser bin Ali al-Ansi of the Yemeni branch said in the video.

"We clarify to the ummah that the one who chose the target, laid the plan and nuanced the operation, is the leadership of AQAP," he said.

He also warned that cities such as London, New York and Washington are also on the list of targets of the terror group. 

The Paris attack is considered to be the first such attack in the West by the Yemeni branch of the terror group.

#AQAP warns that - besides #Paris - #NewYork, #Washington, #London also on list of targets. pic.twitter.com/joIZoxiZF6

— Charlie Winter (@charliewinter) January 14, 2015

The group also reportedly clarified that the Charlie Hebdo attack and the kosher market siege were different operations.

#AQAP: #CharlieHebdo attack was - by chance - carried out in parallel with #KosherMarket attack. It was not same op. pic.twitter.com/y5QjD3gFI4 — Charlie Winter (@charliewinter) January 14, 2015