ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi hasn’t been heard from in nearly a year but today a media outlet associated with the terror group released a 45-minute long audio tape in which al-Baghdadi urges his followers to fight on. From the Associated Press:

“You soldiers of Islam, supporters of the caliphate everywhere, step up your attacks and include the media centers of the infidels and the headquarters of their ideological war among your targets,” he said in the recording, apparently alluding to Western news outlets and research centers.

“Don’t you dare allow the Crusaders and the apostates to enjoy a good and comfortable life at home while your brothers are enduring killings, shelling and destruction,” added al-Baghdadi, who reminded his followers of the rewards of martyrdom, including “72 wives” from among the maidens of paradise…

“In Mosul, they defiantly stood firm on a land ruled by God’s laws against the infidels and nations of the cross … only leaving it over their skulls and dead bodies after nearly a year of fighting,” he said. “The sons of Islam will willingly continue to sacrifice their blood and bodies for the sake of their creator,” he defiantly declared…

“Victory against the enemies and the enemy of God comes next,” he said.

Russia claimed in June there was a high probability al-Baghdadi had been killed in an airstrike. U.S. officials disagreed and now it seems they have been proven right. Though the tape still hasn’t been verified, CNN reports the Office of the Director of National Intelligence told them there was no reason to doubt its authenticity.

How do we know this isn’t an old recording put out now for propaganda purposes? Because al_Baghdadi talks about the North Korean nuclear threat to the U.S. and Japan and other recent events suggesting this was recorded within the past couple months. Here’s CNN’s segment on the new tape:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSkm0_-bMlE