A group known as Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula has claimed responsibility for the attempted attack on a US airliner on Christmas Day, saying it was retaliation for a US operation against the group in Yemen. In a statement posted on the Internet, the group said 23-year-old Nigerian Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab coordinated with members of AQAP, as the organization is known.
Yemeni forces, helped by American intelligence, carried out two air strikes against al-Qaeda operatives in the country this month. The second one took place a day before the attempted bombing of the plane. The group said the would-be bomber used explosives manufactured by al-Qaeda members. AQAP is an alliance of militants based in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. (More al-Qaeda stories.)