Yemen's al-Qaeda branch video on Paris attack authentic: US

The purported video of Yemen's al-Qaeda branch claiming responsibility for last week's attack at a French satirical newspaper is authentic, the US has said.

The US, however, declined to hold the group responsible for the attack, saying the issue is still being investigated.

"The intelligence community has assessed that the AQAP (Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula) video claiming responsibility for last week's attacks against Charlie Hebdo is authentic. This, we believe, likely came from AQAP's media wing," State Department Deputy Spokesperson Marie Harf said.

"We're still looking at every piece of information to determine exactly the links here between the attackers and AQAP, particularly specific members of AQAP like Anwar al-Awlaki. That investigation is clearly ongoing," she said in response to a question.

White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest said the video is another clear indication of the wanton brutality of AQAP.

"This is an appropriate time for me to remind you that the majority of the victims of the terrible attacks that have been launched by AQAP have been Muslims," he said.

"That is an indication of the warped ideology of this organization. And it is why this administration has worked closely with the international community to mitigate the threat that this organization poses," he added.

Earnest said the leadership of AQAP continues to feel the pressure that the international community is putting them under.

"The reason for that effort and the reason that this administration is so vigilant about the importance of keeping the pressure on AQAP is laid bare in this video that was released," he added.