Qaeda chief slams Islamic State 'liars'
Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has denounced what he said was a dishonest propaganda campaign by rival jihadist group the Islamic State against his organization, in an audio message released Thursday.
In the message found and translated by US-based watchdog the SITE Intelligence Group, the Egyptian extremist accuses IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi of slandering his group.
Al-Qaeda, founded by the late Osama Bin Laden, is locked in a battle with the so-called Islamic State -- which sprang from its Iraqi faction -- for the leadership of a global jihad.
In his message, the 65-year-old Zawahiri complained that Al-Baghdadi had alleged that al-Qaeda opposes sectarian attacks on Shia and was prepared to work with Christian leaders.
"The liars insist upon their falsehood, to the extent that they claimed we do not denounce Shia," Zawahiri said, according to the translation of the message.
Meanwhile, the US added Hamza bin Laden, son of Osama bin Laden, to its terrorist blacklist on Thursday.
Hamza has become active as an al-Qaeda propagandist since his father's death at the hands of US special forces on May 2, 2011.
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