Al Baghdadi resurfaces in audio recording

Daesh 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.

In Wednesday’s recording, Al Baghdadi congratulates followers on the occasion of Eid Al Adha and makes references to current events, including Turkey’s row with US over its detention of American pastor Andrew Brunson. If the voice on the audio is confirmed to be that of Al Baghdadi, this would date the message to this month and disprove reports of his death.

“America is going through the worst time in its entire existence,” Al Baghdadi says, adding that Russia is competing with the US over regional influence and clout.

He also criticises surrenders by the rebels in southern Syria to Bashar Al Assad’s forces, calling them traitors and urges fighters to join Daesh instead. He also urges patience, perseverance and continued war.

Al Baghdadi has only appeared in public once in 2014 in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul. There have been recurring reports of his death or injury, including reports by Russian officials last year who said there was a “high probability” that Al Baghdadi was killed in a Russian air strike on the outskirts of Raqqa.

US officials later said they believed he was still alive.