Islamic State releases new Baghdadi audio, indicates he is alive

Baghdad: In what may put all the speculations about the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi to rest, the Islamic State group released a new audio indicating that its top leader is still alive and healthy. 

The recording was released by the IS-run al-Furqan outlet on Thursday and the voice sounded like previous recordings of the reclusive leader, who has only appeared in public once. The date of the audio recording, released via the Al-Furqan news organisation, which is linked to the jihadist group, however, was unclear. 

In his 46-minute tape, the ISIS leader, Baghdadi made reference to North Korean threats against Japan and United States and the recapture two months ago of Mosul by US-backed Iraqi forces.

"Beware of retreat, or the feeling of defeat, beware of negotiations or surrender. Do not lay down your arms," Baghdadi said, referring to followers in Iraq, Syria, Saudi Arabia, North Africa and elsewhere in Africa.

"Oh Soldiers of the Caliphate, fan the flames of war on your enemies, take it to them and besiege them in every corner, and stand fast and courageous."

"With God's will and his strength, we are staying determined, patient...The abundance of killing will not stop us," Baghdadi said in the audio recording. 

Baghdadi also referenced Western media, saying, "Oh soldiers of Islam in every location, increase blow after blow, and make the media centres of the infidels, and where they wage their intellectual wars, among your targets."

Since Baghdadi proclaimed the caliphate stretching across Iraq and Syria in 2014, Iraqi forces have retaken a string of cities in western and northern Iraq including Mosul, where Baghdadi made his announcement from the city's El Nuri mosque.

Western-backed Syrian forces are also thrusting into the eastern Syrian city of Raqqa, Islamic State`s operational headquarters from where it plotted many of the attacks that have killed hundreds of people around the world.

The fall of Mosul in July effectively marked the end of the Iraqi half of Baghdadi's "caliphate" even though Islamic State continues to fight in some territory outside of Mosul, the largest city they came to control in both Iraq and Syria.

An IS branch in Libya was also defeated last year in the city of Sirte, where they had set up a North African beachhead in 2014. In Egypt's northern Sinai, another affiliated militant group is still fighting Egyptian military forces.

The audio has come after several reports that Baghdadi was killed. The last purported audio message from al-Baghdadi was released in November 2016.

The United States is still trying to verify a purported recording of Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, who had been rumoured to be dead, but suggested the tape released Thursday could well be real. 

"We are aware of the audio tape purported to be of Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi and are taking steps to examine it," an intelligence community source said in a statement. "While we have no reason to doubt its authenticity, we do not have verification at this point."

In June this year, Russian officials said that there was a high probability that al-Baghdadi died in one of its airstrikes on the outskirts of the Syrian city of Raqqa. 

However, the US top officials said that they believed that he was still alive. 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.

(With Agency inputs)