IS leader says ‘caliphate’ well, mocks Saudi-led alliance

Some Islamist extremists who are critics of Islamic State have accused the group of deliberately ignoring Israel, focusing instead on weak governments and instability in places such as Iraq and Syria. After seven months of silence, and for only the second time, Abu Bakr Al baghdadi appears desperate to rally his beleaguered fighters who have lost ground and leadership.

The 24-minute address titled, “Wait, for we as well are waiting with you” – apparently a reference to a Quran verse – was released via audio recording and is al-Baghdadi’s first such address since May, CNN reported Sunday. Although it is unclear exactly when the message was recorded, it is known to be recently as the Saudi coalition was only announced on December 16.

“They do not dare to come because their hearts are full of fear from the mujahideen” thanks to their experiences in Afghanistan and Iraq, Baghdadi says.

ISIS also has a branch in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula where a militant Jihadi organization past year pledged allegiance to Baghdadi.

In addition to ceding physical ground, the group has endured relentless airstrikes from the USA and Russian warplanes. Reportedly, al-Baghdadi was himself targeted in an October airstrike.

In northern Iraq, ISIS is also struggling to keep open supply lines into Mosul, after the capture by Kurdish Peshmerga in November whereas in Syria, the USA backed Kurdish-led SDF (Syrian Democratic Forces) threatens to further erode “ISIS” access to the Turkish border through the town of Manbij.

“Then we were struck by hardship and strife… and God’s trial intensified…so much so that the Islamic State was driven out from areas it conquered and controlled… and the land has narrowed down on us…to the point where the Islamic State enemies thought they defeated and exterminated it”.

Nevertheless, over the course of its existence, the terror group has proved resilient and wily. As its home base comes under threat, ISIS has also capitalized on other destabilized regions, like Libya, where the group could relocate should it lose its hold over Raqqa.

The audio message of the speech has been populated by the social media accounts of ISIS which lately got reported and many of them closed now.