Baghdadi propaganda video shows growing confidence of IS, experts say
Militant Islamic leader had previously cultivated his image as a reclusive battlefield commander
The first appearance of self-proclaimed "caliph" Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi in a video shot in an Iraqi mosque illustrates the extent of his jihadist group's control and confidence, experts say.
Baghdadi, whose Islamic State (IS) group holds territory in both Iraq and Syria, called for Muslims to "obey" him during the prayer sermon at the Al-Nur mosque in Mosul on Friday, according to the video distributed online the following day.
The appearance was surprising for a militant who cultivated an image as a reclusive battlefield commander.
One of the most wanted men on earth was able to ... give a 30-minute sermon
It is the latest in a series of moves that have brought IS back to prominence - culminating in the offensive it led last month that captured chunks of Iraqi territory.
"Put simply, one of the most wanted men on earth was able to travel into central Mosul and give a 30-minute sermon in the most venerated mosque in the largest city under control of the most notorious jihadist group of our time," said Charles Lister, from the Brookings Doha Centre.
"The fact that Baghdadi has appeared publicly at all in such a central location underlines the extent of confidence felt within his organisation."
IS spearheaded a Sunni Arab militant offensive that captured Mosul, the second largest city in Iraq, on June 10.