Colombo: The militant terrorist organization, Islamic State (IS), has released a video showing their chief Abu Bakr al Baghdadi, in black dress and an assault rifle, speaking to three unidentified persons. This is his first video appearance since July, 2014, after which the group grew in size and occupied territory as big as the United Kingdom and claimed to establish the caliphate.
In the 18 minute video the terror chief is seen speaking about a recent conflict between IS and Western backed security foces – the battle of Baghouz – which is considered the final stand of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria.
Reports say that he spoke about Sri Lankan bombings in an audio recording after the video ends in which he is purportedly says that the Easter day bombings were in revenge to the killing and imprisonment of IS fighters in Baghouz.
In the audio, the IS chief says, “Your brothers in Sri Lanka have healed the hearts of monotheists (IS members) with their suicide bombings, which shook the beds of the crusaders during Easter to avenge your brothers in Baghouz.”
In the video he says that the Islamic State fight against the West were part of a long battle and the group will take revenge for their members who have been killed.
The terror chief warns, “There will be more to come after this battle.”
According to media reports, Baghdadi was wounded in an airstrike on 18 March, 2015, in al-Baaj district near the Syrian border. It was said that his wounds were so serious that other leaders even discussed about his successor.
The video was published by the Islamic State run Al Furqan media.
Baghdadi’s video message might be a call to sleeper cells to initiate more violence across the globe against all those whom the IS claims as its enemies. The recent bombings in Sri Lanka and busting of IS modules in India must be seen as a serious threat that IS poses to the South Asian region.
