ISIS leader Baghdadi reportedly appeared in a propaganda video for the first time in 5 years. Here's why that's significant.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the enigmatic leader of the Islamic State, has reportedly appeared in a propaganda video by ISIS' oldest and most important media network, Al Furqan. It's the first video appearance from Baghdadi, whose whereabouts remain unknown, since he recorded footage in 2014. Here are three reasons why the news is significant.

1. He's still alive — Unverified reports of Baghdadi's death or injury have surfaced over the years. And while the actual date of the new footage could not be verified, Baghdadi does reference recent events like the end of the battle of Baghouz, which expelled ISIS from its last stronghold, and the Easter Sunday bombings in Sri Lanka, meaning it was likely recorded recently. He also indicated ISIS is still operational in Libya.

2. ISIS probably isn't done fighting — Some analysts find the video significant because of ISIS' recent territorial defeats, which caused President Trump to say the group was "100 percent" defeated. But in the video, Baghdadi reportedly urges his followers to keep fighting their enemies around the world despite the loss of the physical caliphate. In the video he reportedly incites attacks against France. His physical appearance also seems to carry symbolic weight.

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3. It sheds a little more light on Sri Lanka — Confusion has surrounded Sri Lanka since the suicide bombings, with two different extremist Islamist groups in the country receiving blame, but only ISIS actually claiming responsibility. In the video, Baghdadi accepted the allegiance of the bombers, indicating that it was perhaps an ISIS-inspired attack rather than an ISIS-orchestrated one. He added that the attack was in retaliation for ISIS soldiers who were killed in Baghouz, challenging the previously touted theory it was in response to the shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.