DHAKA: The first appearance of self-proclaimed ‘caliph’ Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a video shot in an Iraqi mosque illustrates the extent of his jihadist group’s control and confidence.

Experts say, reports The Straits Times.

Baghdadi, whose Islamic State (IS) group holds territory in both Iraq and Syria, called for Muslims to ‘obey’ him during the prayer sermon at the Al-Nur mosque in Mosul on Friday, according to the video distributed online the following day.

The appearance was surprising for a militant who cultivated an image of a reclusive battlefield commander.

It is the latest in a series of moves that have brought IS back to prominence after it had been on the ropes, culminating in the offensive it led last month that captured chunks of Iraqi territory.

BDST: 1514 HRS, JULY 05, 2014