Jihadists irate as ISIS ‘leader’ does a runner in the desert

ISIS fighters are furious their leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, appears to have melted into the desert rather than fight.

Since declaring himself leader of the caliphate in a filmed 2014 speech, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi has not appeared in any further ISIS videos. Picture: AFP

ISIS fighters are furious their leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, appears to have melted into the desert rather than take part in their last stand for the caliphate.

As advancing forces close in on the last sliver of ISIS territory — an area of about 1.3sq km in the Syrian Euphrates valley — surrendering fighters have spoken of their anger at the absent ISIS leader.

Interviews with ISIS members, local leaders and Western officials reveal a deep internal disenchantment with the so-called caliph, resulting in schisms within the jihadist group.

“He’s hiding somewhere,” said Mohammed Ali, a Canadian ISIS fighter captured by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF). “People were angry.”

Several local, regional and Western officials confirmed Baghdadi was not thought to be in the last patch of ISIS territory. Though his exact location in unknown, officials believe he could be in Anbar, a desert province in Iraq where prominent ISIS members have family links.

Since declaring himself leader of the caliphate in a filmed 2014 speech in Mosul’s al-Hadba mosque, Baghdadi has not appeared in any more ISIS videos. Instead he has released several rambling audio messages urging his followers to remain strong.

The latest was released in August last year, and called on ISIS supporters to attack Westerners with guns, bombs and knives.

“One year ago, there were a lot of assassinations between (ISIS members), those from the Gulf, other groups and Iraqis,” said a source in the al-Shaitat militia, which fights with the SDF and has open communication channels with the caliphate.

“The conflict was between the foreign fighters. They were asking, where is the caliph? Like the Prophet Mohammed, he should be on the front line. They wanted someone there on the ground.”

Baghdadi’s true identity has never been confirmed but he is known to be Iraqi.

He is thought to have been seriously injured in an airstrike in 2015. His death has been reported several times, although many Western and regional security officials believe he is still alive.

“His death at this point could open unseen scenarios, such as the fracture of the group and the defection of foreign affiliates,” said Hassan Hassan, co-author of ISIS: Inside the Army of Terror.

“While the group still held areas, there were stories about the ‘caliph’ visiting frontlines and key areas, to see his subjects. That was an idealistic view of their leader, and some probably imagined him fighting to defend the caliphate at the end.

“But these sentiments tend to be in the imagination of believers, and most will come to understand that it was better for him to stay alive rather than be killed at the hands of the infidels. So it certainly does not look good that he is nowhere to be found as the caliphate is decimated, but they will get over it pretty soon.”

THE SUNDAY TIMES