Recording purporting to be of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi released after rumours he was injured or killed in air strike

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, leader of the Islamic State (Isis), has apparently surfaced alive after he was rumoured to have been killed in a US air strike last week, calling for attacks in Saudi Arabia and for “volcanoes of jihad” across the world.

Baghdadi’s call, in a defiant speech purported to be in his name, claimed that the “crusader” US-led military campaign against Isis was failing. “America and its allies are terrified, weak, and powerless,” he said, repeatedly attacking “the Jews” and “apostate” and “treacherous” Muslim (Arab) leaders who feared the return of the Muslim faithful to the ways of the caliphate.

In a 17-minute audio tape released by al-Furqan media — a jihadi site — Baghdadi was described as “commander of the faithful” and “Caliph of the Muslims”. It was not immediately possible to determine the tape’s authenticity but the voice, articulation and tone all appeared close to his prior speech patterns.

“Oh soldiers of the Islamic State, continue to harvest the [enemy] soldiers,” the recording exhorted in a key passage. “Erupt volcanoes of jihad everywhere. Light the earth with fire under all the tyrants and their soldiers and supporters.”

The speech was in florid, classical Arabic shot through with expressions of Muslim piety in the extremist takfiri tradition. The timing of the recording was unclear, but it referred to Barack Obama’s recent decision to send a further 1,500 US military advisers to train the Iraqi army and to a pledge of allegiance by Egyptian jihadis to the Islamic State last weekend.

In a triumphant survey of what he described as the group’s growing influence, the speaker also mentioned support from Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Libya, Algeria, Tunisia and Morocco. In Saudi Arabia, singled out in the message as the “head of the snake and stronghold of disease”, people were urged to “draw their swords” to fight and to kill Shia Muslims – referred to in pejorative sectarian terms as “rafidah”. Shia worshippers were indeed attacked in a terrorist shooting in the country’s Eastern Province 10 days ago.

In Yemen, Baghdadi called for attacks on the “apostate” Houthis – rebels it is claimed are backed by Iran (seen as the embodiment of Shia power) who are fighting the central government in Sana’a.

There was a mention too for the Sinai Peninsula, where “the people of jihad” - a group called Ansar Bayt al-Maqdis- are fighting the “Egyptian tyrant” and had “terrified the Jews”. God would grant victory, the recording said.

It also attacked “lying media” in claiming that the coalition, which includes Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan and Bahrain, had hit Isis targets.

“Be assured, O Muslims, for your state is good and in the best condition,” Baghdadi declared. “Its march will not stop and it will continue to expand, by Allah’s permission. The march of the mujahidin [Muslim holy warriors] will continue until they reach Rome. And soon, the Jews and Crusaders will be forced to come down to the ground and send their ground forces to their deaths and destruction.”

Facebook Twitter Pinterest Islamic State (Isis) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi reportedly makes an audio address to his Isis followers on Thursday

The audio message was the first of Baghdadi since a video released in July, shortly after Isis proclaimed its caliphate over parts of Iraq and Syria, showed him delivering a Friday sermon in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

Its release again underlined the groups reputation for a sophisticated media strategy. It was distributed on Twitter with accompanying Arabic, English, and Russian transcripts for easy access and maximum impact.

Additional reporting Raya Jalabi