Recent losses and airstrikes haven’t weakened Islamic State, the group’s reclusive leader purportedly said in an audio message, even as the militants lose ground to Iraqi forces in a key city.
The audio message, which appeared on Saturday on social media accounts and websites used by Islamic State, was the first said to come from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi since May. Al-Baghdadi said his group had sustained setbacks before in Iraq and Syria, only to return stronger.
“Be confident that God will grant victory to those who worship him, and hear the good news that our state is doing well. The more intense the war against it, the purer it becomes and the tougher it gets,” said the audio recording, described as by Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.
In is 24-minute long message, he also called on Saudi citizens -- the second biggest contributor to IS – to “rise up” against their government as he dismissed the kingdom’s newly formed Muslim coalition against the caliphate.
He also said the Islamic State would soon be in Palestine to establish an Islamic state there. “Jews, soon you shall hear from us in Palestine which will become your grave,” the voice, purporting to be Baghdadi, is heard saying.
On Saturday, IS suffered a major blow after a US-backed alliance of Syrian Kurds and Arab rebel groups, backed by coalition planes, captured a dam from its fighters, cutting a main supply route of the militants across the Euphrates.
Since the US-backed alliance was formed last October, its fighters have opened several major offensives against Islamic State with the ultimate goal of capturing Raqqa.
