London - Al Qaida has urged Muslims to torch forests as part of the Islamic war against the West.

Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula has called on followers to set fires in forests in enemy states as part of what the network termed holy war.

AQAP, deemed the greatest threat to the United States, has also provided instructions on how to easily and rapidly destroy forests.

"Imagine that, after all the damage is caused, if a jihad organization were to take responsibility for the forest fires," Al Qaida said. "You can imagine the dread it would cause people in the United States, Europe, Russia, and Australia."

In the latest issue of Inspire magazine, AQAP explained how Muslims can assemble firebombs and other weapons to torch forests. The Al Qaida magazine argued that forest fires are supported by the Koran as legitimate means of Islamic warfare.

AQAP's main target has been the United States. In 2003, the FBI reported the arrest of a suspected Al Qaida operative accused of planning a series of forest fires. In January, Al Qaida claimed responsibility for a forest fire in the U.S. state of Nevada.

Israel has suspected that a series of forest fires in 2012 might be linked to Al Qaida supporters. An Al Qaida-aligned cell called Masadat Al Mujahadeen in Palestine, said commanded by Abu Amar Al Ansari, took responsibility for recent arsons in the Jewish state.