Published 22:51 IST, April 29th 2019
ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi seen after five years; acclaims terror attack in Sri Lanka in a video
The leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, made an appearance in a video for the first time in five years.
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The leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, made an appearance in a video for the first time in five years.
Despite repeated reports of his death, the ISIL leader was seen in a propaganda video.
Al-Furqan, the terror outfit's media leg released a video of the leader, wherein he acknowledges the end of the Baghuz battle (ISIS caliphate) and praised the Sri Lankan bombings as retaliation for Baghouz, the last ISIS stronghold to fall in Syria few days ago.
Last, Baghdadi was filmed in July 2014 at al-Nuri Mosque, Iraq, when he announced the formation of the ISIS caliphate.
After Trump declared that the ISIS's caliphate was "100 percent" defeated, the leader has been an international target in multiple countries.
In the video, Baghdadi could be seen sitting with other Islamic State terrorists, and praising the Sri Lankan serial blasts that targetted Churches and Hotels on Easter and killed over 250, injured 500 others.
Intelligence reports claimed that he went underground somewhere in Iraq or Syria.
On Monday, NIA arrested an accused named Riyas Aboobacker in association with the Kasaragod Islamic State terror module case.
During the interrogation, the terror accused divulged that he has been in touch for a long time with absconding accused Abdul Rashid Abdulla, who is believed to be the hierarch behind recruiting Keralites into the terror outfit Islamic State.
Aboobacker also revealed that he has been a follower of Abdullas's audio clip, including the one wherein he instigating others to carryout a terror attacks in India.
Furthermore, the suspect disclosed that he has been in contact with Abdul Khayoom, an accused in Valapattanam ISIS case who is believed to be in Syria at the moment. It was also known that the accused has been following speeches and videos of Zahran Hashim of Sri Lanka for over a year, along with that the speeches of Zakir Naik.
He admitted that he wanted to carry out a suicide attack in Kerala.
He is known to be produced in a court in Kochi tomorrow for conspiring to commit a terrorist act.
22:15 IST, April 29th 2019