Wounded ISIS leader breaks his silence to call on Muslims to 'fight for the caliphate' as group execute 26 civilians before reaching the gates of ancient Syrian city of Palmyra

The message is said to be from Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi (pictured right) who has not been heard from since November. Meanwhile ISIS fighters are barely a mile from the Palmyra world heritage site. The ancient city is under threat of destruction given the jihadists vandalised similar sites at Nimrud and Hatra in Iraq.
Ten victims in nearby villages have been beheaded for 'collaborating with the regime' of President Bashar al-Assad. Fierce fighting continues on the eastern edges of Palmyra (main) amid a regime counter-offensive.