In the 24-minute audio, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi said airstrikes by the international coalition only increase his group’s determination and resolve. The message was al-Baghdadi’s first since May, and comes amid battlefield setbacks that IS has recently faced.
In the audio, al-Baghdadi also warned nations taking part in the war against IS by saying: “We promise you, God permitting, that whoever participates in the war against the Islamic State will pay the price dearly.”
He threatened Israel by saying, “we haven’t forgotten you” and “we are getting closer to you” every day. To Israeli Jews, he said that they “will hide behind trees and stones” from the IS.
He also urged Muslims world over to join the IS fight, saying it is their Islamic duty to rise up everywhere.
The authenticity of the audio could not be independently confirmed but it was posted on IS-affiliated websites and Twitter as past IS messages. Also, it was produced by the al-Furqan Media Foundation, IS media arm.
Source: www.persecondnews.com
