Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, ISIS leader, threatens West, Israel in first statement

On the ropes… the US-backed coalition has made some strategic gains in Syria, but Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi claims his group is doing well. If authentic, the audio recording appears to be al-Baghdadi’s first public statement since May, when he urged Muslims to either “migrate to the Islamic State or fight in his land wherever that may be”.

“With the help of Allah, We are getting closer to you every day“, al-Baghdadi warned any Israelis listening to the twenty minute recording, that was released on jihadist social media accounts and could not be independently verified.

An image grab taken from a propaganda video released on July 5, 2014, shows Islamic State leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. However, it seems that he is doing well and still running what is known as the biggest terrorist organization in the entire world these days.

The unhinged message, which was circulated amongst jihadi fighters online, is the latest evidence that the increasingly fragile hate group is falling apart amid reports it is desperately short of both fighters and weapons.

And it was not clear when the recording was made, but it referred to a 34-nation anti- ISIS coalition announced by Saudi Arabia on December 15. The ISIS leader talks of a “general war” in which the “caliphate” is up against the West, Russia and their Arab allies – specifically Saudi Arabia.

He also threatened ISIS attacks in Israel, saying the terror network would attempt to establish a stronghold there as well. “Do not think that we have forgotten about you”.

Iraqi troops also have advanced to Ramadi Dam, about 1.2 kilometers (three-quarters of a mile) from an ISIS’ compound, giving Iraqi security forces control of the important road that stretches between Ramadi Dam and the Albu Faraj area in the city’s north.

He ranted: “They announced lately a coalition… falsely called ‘Islamic, ‘ and announced its goal is to fight the caliphate”.

Al-Baghdadi gave a stern warning to the nations participating in airstrikes against ISIS. The US is undertaking a significant effort to find and kill al-Baghdadi, who is in hiding, an Obama administration official said earlier this month.