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How were the Charlie Hebdo attackers connected to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula?

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Map of central Paris showing locations targeted during the November 13, 2015 attacks, marked with numbered circles. The map includes symbols for explosion and shooting locations and outlines the city boundary. A timeline on the left lists each attack site and event details, including Stade de France, Rue Alibert, La Casa Nostra, La Belle Equipe, Bataclan, Cafe Comptoir Voltaire, and Saint-Denis. — Paris attacks of 2015 Significant sites related to the terrorist attacks in Paris on November 13, 2015.

The brothers Saïd and Chérif Kouachi, who carried out the 2015 attack on the offices of Charlie Hebdo, maintained direct ties to al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).12

Evidence of this connection includes:

Training and Travel: Saïd Kouachi traveled to Yemen to meet with members of AQAP, where he is believed to have received weapons training.12
Direct Communication: During the hostage siege following the attack, Chérif Kouachi explicitly stated to the media that he and his brother had been sent by AQAP.2
Formal Claim: On January 14, 2015, AQAP formally claimed responsibility for ordering the attack, citing the magazine’s depictions of the Prophet Muhammad as the motivation for the violence.1

While the attackers identified themselves as defenders of the Prophet, their actions were part of a broader pattern of extremist violence, and the group confirmed its role in directing the operation.12