IS relies on Khorasan branch, aims to return to Iraq: Dar al-Iftaa

CAIRO - 1 May 2019: The observatory of takfiri fatwas, an affiliate to the Egyptian Dar al Iftaa said that the Islamic State (IS) is counting on its Khorasan Province branch, adding that terror organization's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's praise for this branch highlights the importance ISIS attaches to Afghanistan in the coming period.

Daesh leader Abu Bakr al Baghdadi has appeared in a video for the first time in five years, indicating that he has survived the territorial defeat of the caliphate he proclaimed, The Washington Post reported on Monday.

The observatory said that the IS carried out six terrorist attacks within the last week in April, including four in Iraq only, as the terrorist group aims to return to Iraq.

Iraq has declared victory over the IS late in 2017, during the term of former Prime Minister Haidar al-Abadi. However, the terrorist group has claimed responsibility for many terror attacks it has carried out from time to time in different cities in Iraq.

In general, 7 terror attacks targeted Iraq this week, while Syria witnessed four attacks, the observatory said.

During the aforementioned week, nine different terrorist groups have carried out 22 terror attacks, targeting nine countries, and leaving 1,121 victims, the observatory added.

Baghdadi, during his recent video, spoke about the group’s losses in the recent battle of Baghouz in Syria, vowed that the fight is not over and congratulated the perpetrators of the Easter Sunday suicide bombing attacks on churches and hotels in Sri Lanka.

This is the second time he appeared since his only other video appearance at the al-Nuri Mosque in Mosul in northern Iraq in July 2014, when he first announced the Islamic State’s intention to re-create the Islamic caliphate.