JEDDAH: Daesh related media sites have published what they claim to be a recording of Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi. If verified, the audio would be the first speech heard from the extremist group’s leader in nearly a year. An Iraqi intelligence official said in May that Baghdadi remains alive in Syria near the Iraqi border, AFP reported. Baghdadi was said to move around with only a small group of followers. Since his last message emerged in September, Daesh has lost much of its remaining territory after once controlling large areas of Iraq and Syria. In the latest massage, Baghdadi called on followers to persevere in the face of their military defeats. Baghdadi has been dubbed the “most wanted man on the planet” and the United States is offering a $25 million reward for his capture.