ISIS releases message purportedly from reclusive leader

Shia Muslims protest ISIS at Lafayette Square in Washington, D.C.
(Image credit: Mladen Antonov/AFP/Getty Images)

The Islamic State released a 24-minute audio message Saturday purporting to be from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the terrorist group's reclusive leader, The Associated Press reports.

"Be confident that God will grant victory to those who worship him, and hear the good news that our state is doing well," al-Baghdadi purportedly said. "The more intense the war against it, the purer it becomes and the tougher it gets."

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up
To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us
Julie Kliegman

Julie Kliegman is a freelance writer based in New York. Her work has appeared in BuzzFeed, Vox, Mental Floss, Paste, the Tampa Bay Times and PolitiFact. Her cats can do somersaults.