Al Qaeda's Ayman al-Zawahri. (Reuters Photo)
Baghdad:
Al Qaeda leader Ayman Al-Zawahri has called on Iraq's Sunnis to prepare for a "long guerrilla" war if ISIS is defeated, according to a video seen today.
"The Sunnis of Iraq should not just surrender upon the fall of (their) cities into the hand of the Shi'ite Safavid army,'' he said in a video recording distributed by supporters, using a derogatory term for the army of Iraq's Shi'ite-led government.
"Rather they should reorganize themselves in a long guerrilla war in order to defeat the new Crusader-Safavid occupation of their areas as they defeated them before."
The Iraqi army is supported by both a US-led coalition and Iran in its fight with ISIS, which seized much of northern and western Iraq in 2014.
"The Sunnis of Iraq should not just surrender upon the fall of (their) cities into the hand of the Shi'ite Safavid army,'' he said in a video recording distributed by supporters, using a derogatory term for the army of Iraq's Shi'ite-led government.
"Rather they should reorganize themselves in a long guerrilla war in order to defeat the new Crusader-Safavid occupation of their areas as they defeated them before."
The Iraqi army is supported by both a US-led coalition and Iran in its fight with ISIS, which seized much of northern and western Iraq in 2014.
© Thomson Reuters 2016
Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world
