Said Kouachi: the second brother wanted by police

Somalia’s Shebab militants, Al-Qaeda’s main affiliate in Africa, on Friday praised the massacre at the Charlie Hebdo satirical weekly in Paris as a “heroic” act.

“They made millions of Muslims happy by taking action. Some misguided people claim that freedom of expression was attacked, but that is not the case, and the two heroic people acted accordingly,” Radio Andalus, the official mouthpiece of the militants, said in a commentary.

“They cut the head of non-believers who insulted our beloved prophet,” the radio said, adding that Osama Bin Laden had “told the West that if freedom of expression has no limit, then you have to expect your blood to be shed.”

The radio also noted that the two brothers suspected of carrying out the killings had “declared that they are part of Al-Qaeda”, the Islamist network to which the Shebab are also affiliated.

Cherif Kouachi: wanted over terror attack

The Shebab, who control large areas of rural Somalia, are reported to have close links with Al-Qaeda fighters in neighbouring Yemen, where one of the two brothers suspected of carrying out the attack is believed to have trained.