ISIS releases audio message of its leader Baghdadi presumed dead
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the elusive chief of the Islamic State terror group has asked his followers to "patiently persevere" despite the losses they suffered in Iraq and Syria. The 55-minute recording, which was released by the official ISIS media wing al-Furqan yesterday, came after reports that he was probably killed in a Russian air strike in May last year on outskirts of Raqqa, Syria.
Baghdadi hasn't been seen in public since 2014
Baghdadi, whose real name is Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim al-Badri, hasn't been seen in public since he proclaimed the creation of a "caliphate" from the pulpit of the Great Mosque of al-Nuri in Mosul, Iraq in Jul'14. His last audio clip was released in September 2017.
CNN says it cannot confirm the voice in the recording
In the message, the man in the recording admits that ISIS groups are losing and says that it's a test from Allah. He says his followers are being tested with fear and hunger but "glad tidings" will be given to those who "patiently persevere". CNN, which carried the report, said it cannot independently confirm if the voice in the recording is that of Baghdadi.
Here is an excerpt from the recording
The man in the recording references massive losses by ISIS. "For the believer Mujahideen, the scale of victory or defeat isn't counting on a city or town being stolen or subject to those who have aerial superiority, or intercontinental missiles or smart bombs, and not how many followers they have," he says. "The scale depends on how much faith the worshipper has," he adds.
The man in the recording talks about recent events
The speaker in the recording makes reference to recent events, including tensions between the US and Turkey. He refers to the US sanctions imposed on Turkey on August 1, "just to release the pastor", referring to US pastor Andrew Brunson detained in Turkey. He also says Russia and Iran are seeking to revolt against sanctions and avoid a similar situation to North Korea.
Man calls on Sunni Muslims to topple Jordan government
The man in the recording also says that Russian and Syrian military are about to storm Idlib, Syria "with the help of traitors," referring to some Syrian rebels. He calls on Sunni Muslims to topple Jordan's government, which is the US and the UK's ally.
US Central Command spokesperson didn't comment on the recording's assessment
US Central Command spokesperson Capt. William Urban said, "I'm not going to comment on our assessment of the recording. We don't know where Baghdadi is, but he continues to be someone that we want to remove from the battlefield." He added that no US government source ever claimed Baghdadi's death. When asked whether that meant US officials believe Baghdadi is alive, Urban said, "Yes."
Analysts had warned about fake reports of Baghdadi's death
ISIS has released various audio messages that it claims are from Baghdadi, said to be in his late 40s. In September last year, it released a video that appeared to make reference to news events that happened after Russia claimed he was dead. Analysts warned that reports of Baghdadi's death should be treated with skepticism, given the high number of previous false reports.
