A recording by a previously unknown figure was distributed on jihadist forums on Saturday, announcing the creation of a Lebanese franchise for the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), Agence France-Presse reported.
In the recording, Abu Sayyaf al-Ansari swears allegiance to Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Iraqi leader of ISIS, which has its roots in al-Qaeda in Iraq and emerged in Syria last spring.
He called on Sunnis to abandon the Lebanese “crusader” army, echoing allegations by Sunni Islamists that the armed forces are “backed by Hezbollah.”
“We pledge allegiance to the prince of the believers, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi... and we ask him to guide us past the obstacles, and make us your spearhead in crushing your enemy, and not a single man among us will hold back in helping you,” AFP quoted Ansari as saying.
In the five-minute recording, he said “a spokesman for ISIL in Lebanon” identified as Abu Omar al-Muhajir would soon make a statement of his own.

Al-Qaeda-linked ISIS opens branch in Lebanon

Women walk past as Lebanese army soldiers, gather at the site of Tuesday’s explosion, in the Haret Hreik area in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut January 22, 2014. (Reuters)
Al Arabiya News
Saturday 25 January 2014
Last Update: Wednesday, 20 May 2020 KSA 09:42 - GMT 06:42
DAY | WEEK |
-
20582 Views Coronavirus: Dubai temporarily postpones Pfizer vaccine campaign amid global shortage
-
8132 Views Saudi Arabia’s PIF to invest 3 trillion riyals over next 10 years: Crown Prince
-
2217 Views Saudi Arabia’s King Salman issues several new royal decrees
-
1596 Views Coronavirus: Dubai’s new restrictions disappoint hospitals; entertainers struggle on
-
675 Views In numbers: Saudi Arabia’s PIF lists 6 goals for next 5 years
-
650 Views Israel opens embassy in Abu Dhabi: Foreign Ministry statement
-
20582 Views Coronavirus: Dubai temporarily postpones Pfizer vaccine campaign amid global shortage
-
19218 Views Coronavirus: Number of new UAE COVID-19 cases reaches record high
-
16811 Views Airstrikes pound Iran-backed militias south of Iraq’s Baghdad: Reports
-
10881 Views Coronavirus: Dubai orders hospitals to cancel surgeries amid surge in COVID-19 cases
-
8203 Views Coronavirus: Dubai suspends live entertainment permits as COVID-19 cases surge
-
7646 Views Coronavirus: Dubai's latest COVID-19 rules for weddings, restaurants, gyms, concerts
SHOW MORE