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AFP
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has not been seen on video for five years
A man believed to be the leader of the Islamic State militant group has made a rare appearance on camera vowing to seek revenge following the loss of the extremist group’s territory.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has not been seen since July 2014, when he proclaimed from Mosul the creation of a “caliphate” across parts of Syria and Iraq.
In this new footage, the he acknowledges defeat at Baghouz, the group’s last stronghold in the region.
It is not clear when it was filmed.
However, as well as referencing the fall of Baghouz, he also speaks about the Sri Lanka attacks, as well as pledges of allegiance from militants in Burkina Faso and Mali.
Baghdadi – an Iraqi whose real name is Ibrahim Awwad Ibrahim al-Badri – was last heard from in an audio recording last August.
At the time, he appeared to be trying to shift attention away from his group’s crippling losses, BBC Middle East correspondent Martin Patience says.
But this latest 18 minute video, which claims to have been recorded in April, addresses the losses head on.
“The battle for Baghouz is over,” he says, before adding: “There will be more to come after this battle.”
According to news agency Reuters, he says the group is fighting a “battle of attrition”.