Group reports new video from al-Qaida leader al-Zawahri

CAIRO – The SITE Intelligence Group says the leader of al-Qaida is urging unity among Muslims in a new 5-minute video speech.

Ayman al-Zawahri calls on Muslims everywhere — including fighters and preachers — to unite in Islamic jihad, or holy war, in the video released Thursday, according to SITE. The group tracks online activity of jihadist organizations.

In April last year, al-Zawahri released an audio recording urging followers and other militants in Syria to unite ranks against the government and other enemies.

The release of the video Thursday comes a day after the Islamic State group released a new audio message purportedly of its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the first such recording to emerge in almost a year.

Al-Qaida has vowed to fight on in Idlib province, Syria’s last major rebel stronghold, in the face of a possible regime offensive there.