Isis releases new recording of leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi

46-minute recording casts doubts on Russian and Iranian claims that Islamic State leader was killed in airstrike this year

Martin Chulov in Erbil
Thursday 28 September 2017 18.57 BST

Islamic State has released an audio recording of its leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, that appears to postdate the latest rumours of his death, in which he accuses the US of wilting in the face of Russia and lacking “the will to fight”.

The 46-minute tape, released on Thursday, was the first from the reclusive Baghdadi in nearly 10 months, and gave several clues that suggest Iranian and Russian claims that he was killed in May were incorrect.

In the tape Baghdadi refers to the “nearly year-long fight for Mosul”, from which Isis was ousted in August after nearly 10 months of fighting. He also referenced fights for Hama in Syria, where a push in recent weeks by Iranian-led militias has ousted the terror group from much of its stronghold in countryside to the east of Syria’s third city.

He also referred to North Korean “nuclear threats to America” and “Russia taking control” of the Astana peace process between the Syrian opposition and regime. Both matters have been headline news throughout the year, but the North Korean standoff has been particularly potent in recent weeks.

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