ISIS urge attacks over Ramadan

ISIS followers have been told to launch attacks on Western targets during the month of Ramadan, which begins in early June.

An audio clip distributed through Twitter accounts that usually distribute ISIS statements purports to be from the group's spokesman, Abu Muhammad al-Adnani. 

An ISIS fighters holds a weapon and the group's flag aloft in Mosul, Iraq in 2014. Reuters

"Ramadan, the month of conquest and jihad. Get prepared, be ready ... to make it a month of calamity everywhere for the non-believers ... especially for the fighters and supporters of the caliphate in Europe and America," said the message, suggesting attacks on military and civilian targets.

The authenticity of the audio clip could not be verified.

"The smallest action you do in their heartland is better and more enduring to us than what you would if you were with us. If one of you hoped to reach the Islamic State, we wish we were in your place to punish the Crusaders day and night," said Adnani.

The militant group, which seeks to establish a caliphate across the Middle East and beyond, has claimed deadly attacks over the past year on civilians in France, Belgium and the United States.

But the message made no mention of the EgyptAir flight that crashed into the Mediterranean on Thursday in unexplained circumstances, amid speculation by Egyptian, French and American officials that a jihadist attack was the most likely cause.

A US-led coalition, which also includes European and Arab countries, launched a campaign of air strikes against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria in 2014 after the militants seized vast swathes of territory in those countries.

"Their planes do not distinguish between civilians and combatants, man or woman," the message continued, in apparent reference to the strikes.

related articles
Raped, murdered and persecuted by ISIS: The plight of Yazidis in Iraq
Raped, murdered and persecuted by ISIS: The plight of Yazidis in Iraq

Raped, murdered and persecuted by ISIS: The plight of Yazidis in Iraq

Pope Francis: Christianity and Islam must integrate in Europe
Pope Francis: Christianity and Islam must integrate in Europe

Pope Francis: Christianity and Islam must integrate in Europe

Last words of Christian girl, 12, burnt to death by ISIS: \'Forgive them\'
Last words of Christian girl, 12, burnt to death by ISIS: 'Forgive them'

Last words of Christian girl, 12, burnt to death by ISIS: 'Forgive them'

Why we have to stop talking ABOUT Muslims and start talking TO Muslims
Why we have to stop talking ABOUT Muslims and start talking TO Muslims

Why we have to stop talking ABOUT Muslims and start talking TO Muslims

News
Bible sales surge by 87% as Generation Z rediscovers faith
Bible sales surge by 87% as Generation Z rediscovers faith

Bible sales in the UK have risen sharply, increasing by 87 per cent from £2.69 million in 2019 to £5.02 million in 2024, according to new data from SPCK Group and Nielsen Book Data.

Lent and Ramadan have sparked complaints over the ‘woke’ storyline in BBC Radio drama The Archers
Lent and Ramadan have sparked complaints over the ‘woke’ storyline in BBC Radio drama The Archers

BBC Radio 4’s long-running rural drama The Archers has come under fire for its recent exploration of Ramadan, with many listeners criticising the decision to feature a Christian character, Lynda Snell, fasting in the run-up to Lent.

Can Christian civilization thrive without community?
Can Christian civilization thrive without community?

The West’s retreat from its Christian roots, worn down by progressive ideologies and colonial guilt, risks unravelling a legacy built on the belief that every person bears God’s image and is redeemed by Christ’s sacrifice.

Church cautiously welcomes Northern Ireland government programme
Church cautiously welcomes Northern Ireland government programme

The document outlines the governing priorities of Northern Ireland’s government.