Islamic State group calls for attacks on civilians worldwide

In this file photo taken Monday, June 23, 2014, fighters from the Islamic State group parade in a commandeered Iraqi security forces vehicle down a main road in the northern city of Mosul, Iraq. The spokesman of the Islamic State militant group Abu Mohammed al-Adnani said that his fighters are ready to face a U.S.-led military coalition, in an audio recording released late Sunday, Sept. 22, 2014. Al-Adnani called on Muslims worldwide to kill civilians of nations that join the fight against them. less In this file photo taken Monday, June 23, 2014, fighters from the Islamic State group parade in a commandeered Iraqi security forces vehicle down a main road in the northern city of Mosul, Iraq. The spokesman ... more Photo: Uncredited, Associated Press Photo: Uncredited, Associated Press Image 1 of / 1 Caption Close Islamic State group calls for attacks on civilians worldwide 1 / 1 Back to Gallery

— The Islamic State group’s spokesman said its fighters are ready to battle a U.S.-led military coalition, casting it as a historic clash between Muslims and their enemies and calling for attacks at home and abroad.

Abu Mohammed al-Adnani’s 42-minute audio statement was the group’s latest response to efforts by U.S. President Obama to form a global coalition against it.

He said the group welcomed the possibility of a ground war with the U.S., and he called on Muslims worldwide to kill civilians of nations that join the coalition.

“You must strike the soldiers, patrons and troops of the tyrants. Strike their police, security and intelligence members,” al-Adnani said in the statement released Sunday.

While Islamic State loyalists frequently warn that their Western fighters will one day return to wreak havoc in their own countries, they do not typically call for militant attacks abroad, preferring to focus on expanding the territory under their control in Iraq and Syria.

American and French warplanes have been carrying out air strikes against the group in Iraq since August, and Washington says some 40 countries will take part in the alliance.

The U.N. Security Council is expected to adopt a binding resolution this week that would require nations to bar their citizens from traveling abroad to join terrorism organizations, part of the U.S. effort to counter the threat.

Syria air strikes

U.S. and partner nations have begun air strikes in Syria against Islamic State militants, using a mix of fighter jets, bombers and Tomahawk missiles fired from ships in the region, the Pentagon said Monday.

The strikes are part of the expanded military campaign that President Obama authorized in order to destroy the Islamic State militants, who have slaughtered thousands of people, beheaded Westerners, including two American journalists, and captured a large swath of territory stretching from Syria to Iraq.