Islamic State's Baghdadi in undated audio urges militants to keep fighting
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
A man purported to be the reclusive leader of  the militant Islamic State Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi  has made what would be his first public appearance at a mosque in the centre of Iraq's second city  Mosul  according to a video recording posted on the Internet on July 5  2014  in this still image taken from video. REUTERS/Social Media Website via Reuters TV
The audio  partly dedicated to religious scriptures  came after several reports  Baghdadi  had been killed.  His  last recording was in November 2016  two weeks after the start of the battle to recapture the city of Mosul from Islamic State (IS).
âBeware of retreat  or the feeling of defeat  beware of negotiations or surrender. Do not lay down your arms â  Baghdadi  said  referring to followers in Iraq  Syria  Saudi Arabia  North Africa and elsewhere in Africa.
The date of the 46-minute recording  released via the Al-Furqan news organization  was not clear. But in it   Baghdadi  makes an apparent reference to recent events including North Korean threats against Japan and United States and the recapture two months ago of Mosul by U.S.-backed Iraqi forces.
Since  Baghdadi  proclaimed the caliphate stretching across Iraq and Syria in 2014  Iraqi forces have retaken a string of cities in western and northern Iraq including Mosul  where  Baghdadi  made  his  announcement from the cityâs El Nuri mosque.
 Baghdadi  also called for attacks on Western media  saying: âOh soldiers of Islam in every location  increase blow after blow  and make the media centers of the infidels  from where they wage their intellectual wars  among the targets.â
The fall of Mosul in July effectively marked the end of the Iraqi half of  Baghdadi âs âcaliphateâ even though Islamic State continues to fight in some territory outside of Mosul  the largest city they came to control in both Iraq and Syria.
âWith Godâs will and his strength  we are staying determined  patient...The abundance of killing will not stop us â  Baghdadi  said in the audio recording.
Officials have said they believed it could take years to capture or kill  Baghdadi  as  he  is thought to be hiding in a vast swathe of sparsely-populated desert between Mosul and Raqqa  where attacking drones are easy to spot.
The United States has offered a $25 million bounty for information that would locate  Baghdadi .
Russiaâs defense ministry said earlier this year it might have killed  Baghdadi  in an air strike on a gathering of IS commanders on the outskirts of Raqqa. But U.S. officials said they could not corroborate the death and other Western as well as Iraqi officials were skeptical.
A man purported to be the reclusive leader of  [TGT] has made what would be his first public appearance at a mosque in the centre of Iraq's second city  Mosul  according to a video recording posted on the Internet on July 5  2014  in this still image taken from video. REUTERS/Social Media Website via Reuters TV
The audio  partly dedicated to religious scriptures  came after several reports   [TGT] had been killed.   [TGT]   last recording was in November 2016  two weeks after the start of the battle to recapture the city of Mosul from Islamic State (IS).
âBeware of retreat  or the feeling of defeat  beware of negotiations or surrender. Do not lay down your arms â   [TGT] said  referring to followers in Iraq  Syria  Saudi Arabia  North Africa and elsewhere in Africa.
The date of the 46-minute recording  released via the Al-Furqan news organization  was not clear. But in it    [TGT] makes an apparent reference to recent events including North Korean threats against Japan and United States and the recapture two months ago of Mosul by U.S.-backed Iraqi forces.
Since   [TGT] proclaimed the caliphate stretching across Iraq and Syria in 2014  Iraqi forces have retaken a string of cities in western and northern Iraq including Mosul  where   [TGT] made   [TGT]   announcement from the cityâs El Nuri mosque.
  [TGT] also called for attacks on Western media  saying: âOh soldiers of Islam in every location  increase blow after blow  and make the media centers of the infidels  from where they wage their intellectual wars  among the targets.â
The fall of Mosul in July effectively marked the end of the Iraqi half of   [TGT]  âs âcaliphateâ even though Islamic State continues to fight in some territory outside of Mosul  the largest city they came to control in both Iraq and Syria.
âWith Godâs will and his strength  we are staying determined  patient...The abundance of killing will not stop us â   [TGT] said in the audio recording.
Officials have said they believed it could take years to capture or kill  Baghdadi  as   [TGT]   is thought to be hiding in a vast swathe of sparsely-populated desert between Mosul and Raqqa  where attacking drones are easy to spot.
The United States has offered a $25 million bounty for information that would locate  Baghdadi .
Russiaâs defense ministry said earlier this year it might have killed  Baghdadi  in an air strike on a gathering of IS commanders on the outskirts of Raqqa. But U.S. officials said they could not corroborate the death and other Western as well as Iraqi officials were skeptical.