Al-Qaeda Leader Urges Jihadists to KIDNAP Westerners in Chilling Warning to the 'Enemies of Islam'
- Ayman al-Zawahiri urged militants to take Western hostages and exchange them for jailed jihadists
- He said kidnapping was a 'powerful weapon in the fight against the enemy'
- Al-Zawahiri was named as the new leader of Al-Qaeda a few weeks after Osama Bin Laden's death
Daily Mail UK, 26 July 2016.
The leader of Al-Qaeda has called on jihadists to kidnap Westerners in a chilling warning to the 'enemies of Islam'.
In an audio interview Ayman al-Zawahiri urged militants to take Western hostages and exchange them for jailed jihadists 'until they liberate the last Muslim male prisoner and last Muslim female prisoner in the prisons of the Crusaders, apostates, and enemies of Islam'.
He added that kidnapping was a 'powerful weapon in the fight against the enemy'.
Al-Zawahiri, an eye surgeon, was named as the leader of Al-Qaeda in June 2011, a few weeks after Osama Bin Laden's death.
He is believed to be seeking refuge in the Afghanistan-Pakistan border area that is the Taliban's base.
The leader of Al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, urged militants to take Western hostages and exchange them for jailed jihadists
Zawahiri was already the group's chief ideologue and was believed by some experts to have been the 'operational brains' behind the 9/11 attacks in the US.
Zawahiri was number two - behind only Bin Laden - in the 22 'most wanted terrorists' list announced by the US government in 2001 and continues to have a $25m (£16m) bounty on his head.
One of his wives and two of their children were killed in a US air strike in late 2001.
The terror chief's chilling warning came after two Middle Eastern men tried to grab a serviceman, aged in his 20s, while he was out jogging near RAF Marham in Norfolk UK last Thursday.
The main suspect, who grabbed the serviceman while he was out jogging, and attempted to pull him into a dark coloured people carrier, is thought to have suffered an injury during the incident after being challenged by the victim.
They were involved in a scuffle during which the victim head-butted his attacker before punching him, causing the suspect to fall to the floor.
It was at this point the second suspect, who was armed with a knife, went to the aid of his accomplice allowing the victim to run away and get help.
Police continued to carry out house to house enquiries at Marham over the weekend and review CCTV.
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British Soldiers are Told to 'Scrub' Facebook Accounts of All Uniform Pictures and to Jog in Pairs For Fear of New Lee Rigby-Style ISIS Attacks
- Worrying memo told 14,000 soldiers at bases in Wiltshire UK to 'stay vigilant'
- Servicemen told to scrub their accounts to avoid attracting attention
- Comes as two 'Middle Eastern' men tried to abduct serviceman in Norfolk UK
- Man in late 20s was out jogging when they tried to bundle him into a van
British soldiers have been told to 'scrub' their social media accounts of uniform pictures and instructed to jog in pairs to avoid being targeted by jihadists.
A troubling memo ordering staff to 'remain vigilant' was sent to soldiers at bases in Bulford, Tidworth and Larkhill, Wiltshire, where 14,000 people are garrisoned.
It comes as two men, reportedly of a Middle-Eastern appearance, tried to abduct a serviceman in his late 20s near RAF Marham in Norfolk.
British soldiers have been told to 'scrub' their social media accounts of uniform pictures and instructed to jog in pairs to avoid being targeted by jihadists. Pictured, police outside RAF Marham in Norfolk UK, after a serviceman was threatened with a knife near to the base
A memo, warned: 'All staff and their families should remain vigilant and report anything that is suspicious immediately.
'Personnel when running off camp should consider running in pairs.
'Personnel should consider scrubbing their social media pages to avoid drawing attention to themselves
On Wednesday a married serviceman was out running on Wednesday when he was grabbed by a man, who tried to drag him towards a nearby car.
Police appealed for pedestrians and motorists to help track down two 'Middle Eastern' men after the attempted knife-point abduction/kidnap.
The serviceman knocked the first attacker to the floor and an accomplice, carrying a knife, helped him up before both men fled.
The serviceman was said to have been left 'very, very shaken by his ordeal'.
It comes as two men, reportedly of a middle-Eastern appearance, tried to abduct a serviceman in his late 20s near RAF Marham in Norfolk (pictured, police at the scene)
Detective Superintendent Paul Durham said: 'While the victim only witnessed two attackers, there may have been more than two people in the vehicle and given the nature of the attack, it is likely they were part of a larger team.'
Police are urging anyone walking or driving along Squires Hill, near to Costcutters in Marham, around the time of the incident on Wednesday to come forward.
A witness told he believes he saw a people carrier similar to the one being hunted by police several days speeding away from the base days before the attempted abduction.
The man claimed men of a 'Middle Eastern' appearance and matching the police description were in the car, which almost crashed into him, three days before.
Police refused to comment on reports that they have the DNA of one of the attackers, after the jogger allegedly got their blood on his knuckle while fighting them off.