Al-Qaeda offshoot declares itself an Islamic ‘Caliphate’

An offshoot of al-Qaeda which has captured swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria has declared itself an Islamic "Caliphate" and called on factions worldwide to pledge their allegiance, a statement posted on jihadist websites said yesterday.

The move is an expansion of the group’s ambitions to wage a holy war and posed a direct challenge to the central leadership of al-Qaeda, which has already disowned it.

The group, previously known as the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), also known as ISIS, has renamed itself “Islamic State” and proclaimed its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghadi as “Caliph” — the head of the state, the statement said.