Al-Qaida in Yemen denounces Islamic State group's declaration of caliphate, expansionist plans
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}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.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}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.