The Islamic State (ISIS) has made a fresh call to its followers to kill Christians and Jews across America and Europe. A report in the Mirror stated that Hudhayfah al-Ansari, the new ISIS spokesperson made an over 40-minute-long address celebrating the deadly terror attack that killed 140 people in Moscow and called upon “lone wolves” to carry out attacks against American forces in Iraq. The message coincides with the 10-year anniversary of the terror group’s declaration of a caliphate in Iraq and Syria.
“It is a religious ideological war that will continue until we kill their antichrist under the banner of the Prophet of Allah… tighten the plans and diversify operations: Blow them up with explosives, burn them with incendiary bombs, shoot them with bullets, slaughter their necks with knives, and run them over with buses,” the ISIS spokesperson said in his audio message.
Al-Ansari also called upon “members” in Mozambique to “double attacks” and militants in the Philippines to “move operations into major cities” is the new ISIS spokesperson. The Islamic State (IS) had announced the arrest of the organization’s spokesman, Abu Omar al-Muhajir last year in September at the hands of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) in the Idlib region in northwestern Syria. According to local reports in the Arab media, the HTS controls Idlib and has a history of fighting IS over the past nine years.
ISIS has come back to the fore after two major attacks this year – the first against Iran in January where two explosions killed 100 people and the concert hall attack in Moscow in March. The latest announcement by the new ISIS spokesperson has made it clear that the group is looking to expand its operations. Reacting to these new developments, Ian J. Mccary, US Deputy Special Envoy For The Global Coalition To Defeat Isis Bureau Of Counterterrorism said in speech that the Coalition against ISIS was paying special attention to the actions of the ISIS-K.
“We remain vigilant against the threat posed by so-called ISIS-Khorasan, or ISIS-K, emanating from Afghanistan. The Taliban have made progress combatting ISIS-K, but they have struggled to dismantle ISIS-K’s clandestine urban cells and prevent attacks on soft targets. The Coalition is determined to see that Afghanistan never again becomes a safe haven for terrorists. We are addressing the threat by increasing focus, coordination, and collaboration on ISIS-K with our Coalition members, and augmenting cooperation with regional partners in South and Central Asia,” he said.
