Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi Releases New Audio Message

A new audio message has been released, reportedly from the leader of the Islamic State group. In this message, ISIS members and supporters are urged to continue their attacks worldwide despite recent defeats. The 54-minute audio was published by the group's media wing, Furqan, on August 22. In part of the audio attributed to Baghdadi, it is claimed that the United States is in 'the worst possible condition in its history' and that Moscow is competing with Washington for influence in the Middle East. The ISIS leader criticizes rebels for surrendering to Syrian government forces in southern regions, calling them 'traitors' and urging them to join the Islamic State group. The audio states that Idlib is falling and that government and Russian forces will soon take control of it. Idlib is the most significant area under the control of Syrian rebels, but in addition to attacks by government forces, various reports of internal conflicts and deadly battles between ISIS and other groups have emerged there. In recent months, there have been reports and statements regarding Baghdadi's death, none of which have been officially confirmed. If the current message is officially confirmed to be from Baghdadi, it would effectively discredit reports of his death. The exact location of Baghdadi is also unclear. U.S. and Iraqi officials stated two years ago that they believed the self-proclaimed caliph of the Islamic State had abandoned his fighters in the battle of Mosul and hidden somewhere in the desert. At that time, the Baghdad government and its allies were in the midst of the battle to reclaim the most important city under ISIS control in Iraq. Baghdadi released a message two weeks after the start of the Mosul liberation operation, urging his followers to fight against 'infidels' and 'spill their blood like rivers on the ground.' In October 2017, the group known as the Islamic State released a new audio file attributed to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. ISIS has lost about 90% of the territory it once controlled under its self-proclaimed caliph. The group's propaganda and news dissemination media stated last July that Baghdadi's son was killed during a battle in Homs, western Syria. The real name of the ISIS leader is Ibrahim Awad Ibrahim Ali Muhammad al-Badri, born in 1971, likely near Samarra in Iraq. After the U.S. invasion of Iraq, he began his armed activities by helping to form the 'Jaysh al-Sunna' group. He joined the 'Council of Mujahideen,' a group that later changed its name to the 'Islamic State of Iraq' and in 2013 to the 'Islamic State of Iraq and Syria,' with Baghdadi being elected as its 'caliph.' He declared the caliphate in 2014 at the al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul; the last time he was seen publicly.