Story highlights Qasm al-Rimi assumed command of AQAP after the group's previous leader was killed

Prior to his current position, al-Rimi was the group's military chief

(CNN) The new leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, has released a message calling for attacks on the United States.

"All of you must direct and gather your arrows and swords against it," Qasm al-Rimi, also known as Abu Hureira al-Sanaani, said in the video.

He assumed command of AQAP after Nasir al-Wuhayshi, the group's previous leader, was killed in drone strike in Yemen last month. Al-Rimi eulogized the ex-leader and pledged allegiance to the head of al Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

Photos: Leaders of deadliest terrorist groups Photos: Leaders of deadliest terrorist groups Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhunzada, named the new Afghan Taliban leader following the death of Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansour, is in his late 50s and comes from Panjwai district of southern Kandahar province. Hide Caption 1 of 7 Photos: Leaders of deadliest terrorist groups Ayman Al-Zawahiri is the leader of al Qaeda. He previously acted as Osama bin Laden's personal physician and is believed to have played an important role in the September 11 terror attacks. Hide Caption 2 of 7 Photos: Leaders of deadliest terrorist groups Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is the leader of ISIS, the militant group that wants to create an Islamic state across areas of Iraq and Syria. Not much is known about the ruthless leader. A reward of up to $10 million has been offered by the U.S. government. Hide Caption 3 of 7 Photos: Leaders of deadliest terrorist groups Qasm al-Rimi is the leader of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. He succeeded Nasir al-Wuhayshi, who was killed in a drone strike . Al-Rimi has spent more than a decade at the helm of the military side of AQAP, and he also plans their large international operations. Hide Caption 4 of 7 Photos: Leaders of deadliest terrorist groups Mullah Fazlullah is the leader of the Pakistani Taliban. The group, which has links to the Afghan Taliban and al Qaeda, has claimed responsibility for shooting teen activist Malala Yousafzai and attempting to detonate a car bomb in New York's Times Square in 2010. Hide Caption 5 of 7 Photos: Leaders of deadliest terrorist groups Ahmed Omar Abu Ubaidah is the leader of al-Shabaab, an al Qaeda-linked militant group based in Somalia. Little is known about the man characterized as a low-ranking commander. Hide Caption 6 of 7 Photos: Leaders of deadliest terrorist groups Abubakar Shekau is the leader of Boko Haram, a militant Islamic group working out of Nigeria. Little is known about the religious scholar. He operates in the shadows, leaving his underlings to orchestrate his mandates. A reward of up to $7 million has been offered by the U.S. government. Hide Caption 7 of 7

AQAP is one of the most dangerous branches of the jihadist network.

Prior to his current position, al-Rimi was the group's military chief.

Read More