They made the claim today on a Twitter account known to be associated with the militants, who previously claimed responsibility for suicide bombings Friday in Yemen's capital, Sanaa, that killed 137 people.
US officials have been sceptical about whether the militants have direct links to the Islamic State group.
Al-Qaida in Arabian Peninsula took over the city of al-Houta on Friday before being pushed out by Yemeni forces.
The chaos comes as the country's embattled president faces a Shiite rebel insurrection.
