Al-Qaida in Yemen denounces Islamic State group's declaration of caliphate, expansionist plans

SANAA, Yemen – Yemen's al-Qaida branch has denounced the Islamic State group for declaring a caliphate on territory it seized in Syria and Iraq and its plans to further expand its area of control.

The al-Qaida Yemeni offshoot's purported spiritual guide, Sheikh Harith al-Nadhari, says such expansionist intentions are "driving a wedge" among jihadi groups. He was referring to Islamic State's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi's recent call to followers to "explode volcanos of jihad everywhere."

Al-Nadhari says the IS should have sought "consultation" with other militant groups. His message was posted Friday on one of its official Twitter pages.

The Islamic State extremists initially fought to oust Syrian President Bashar Assad, but other groups, including al-Qaida central command, turned against them. A summer IS blitz captured nearly a third of Syria and Iraq.