A Lebanon-based Sunni militant with reported links to Al-Qaeda pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria in an audio recording released late Saturday, urging the radical Syrian rebel group to "reactivate its cells" in the country.

 

“We pledge allegiance to [ISIS chief] Abu Bakr al-Husseini al-Qurshi al-Baghdadi to listen and obey,” a man identifying himself as Abu Sayyaf al-Ansari and claiming to be based in the northern city of Tripoli said in the audio message.

 

“We ask [Baghdadi] to reactivate its [ISIS] cells in Lebanon to carry on with jihadist [operations] that have intimidated America,” Abu Sayyaf said in the recording, which was circulated on social media websites and widely covered on local news outlets. In an article published Saturday, Al-Akhbar newspaper described Abu Sayyaf as an Al-Qaeda commander based in Lebanon but little else is known about the man in the recording. [Link]