The Islamic State (IS, ISIS/ISIL) Caliph Abu Bakr al Baghdadi has just released a brand new audio tape suggesting he is still alive despite Russian claims of his death in airstrikes.
leader al-Baghdadi believed to be alive — he released an audio message.
— BREAKING VOP ()
The audio release, much of which is dedicated to religious scriptures, comes amid growing speculation over the fate of the Baghdadi, whose last recorded speech was issued in early November 2016, two weeks after the start of the battle for Mosul, when he urged his followers to fight the “unbelievers” and “make their blood flow as rivers”.
– Caliph Abu Bakr al Baghdadi has just released a brand new audio tape suggesting he is still alive despite claims of his death in airstrikeshttps://t.co/BLg1xborvG pic.twitter.com/Qf4sKuye3o
— SURA ()
U.S.-backed Iraqi forces have since defeated Islamic State in Mosul, where Baghdadi declared a self-styled caliphate three years ago. Militants blew up Mosul’s El Nuri mosque where Baghdadi made his 2014 declaration after Islamic State captured the city, told Reuters.
Officials have said they believed it could take years to capture or kill Baghdadi as he is thought to be hiding in thousands of square miles of sparsely-populated desert between Mosul and Raqqa, where drones are easy to spot.
