Beirut: The Islamic State group has released a new militant audio recording, purportedly of its shadowy leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, his first in almost a year.
In the audio, al-Baghdadi whose whereabouts and fate remain unknown urges followers to “persevere” and continue fighting the group's enemies everywhere.
The 54-minute audio entitled Give Glad Tidings to the Patient was released by the extremist group's central media arm, al-Furqan Foundation, on Wednesday evening.
The audio’s authenticity could not be independently verified and there were no clues as to where it was recorded.
The question of whether al-Baghdadi is dead or alive has been a continuing source of mystery and confusion. The extremist group has lost around 90 percent of territory it controlled in Iraq and Syria in 2014, when IS declared its so-called “caliphate.”
He is believed to be hiding somewhere in the desert that stretches across the Syrian-Iraqi border region. His last audio message was on September 28, 2017 in which he called on his followers to burn their enemies everywhere and target “media centers of the infidels.”
In Wednesday’s recording, he congratulates followers on the occasion of Eid al-Ada.
