Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the head of the self-proclaimed Islamic State, said that international air strikes were failing.

IS leader mocks US for not daring to deploy troops on the ground. Photo: NBC News

In a 24-minute video released yesterday, Al-Baghdadi asserted that IS is growing, despite airstrikes by both Russia and the US-led coalition in Syria that have destroyed oil refineries and killed some of its leaders, according to NBC News.

Al-Baghdadi also mocked the US for not daring to deploy troops on the ground "because of fear", and the anti-IS coalition did not make the rebels less determined to expand their control.

The IS leader warned that countries that oppose IS will pay the price, and threatened that "IS is getting closer to Israel every day". Saudi Arabia's recent announcement that the 34-member anti-terrorist coalition will be headquartered in the capital Riyadh was also criticized.

Al-Baghdadi called on all Muslims to join the fight against the countries, saying it was their duty.

The new statement from the IS leader comes as the group is being pushed back from several locations in Syria and Iraq. Iraqi government troops recaptured the town of Sinjar last month and are closing in on Ramadi.

The video was confirmed by Flashpoint Intelligence, a security firm and partner of NBC News, and was released by the IS media group through official online channels. However, its authenticity has not yet been verified.

The US and its allies have stepped up air strikes since the November 13 attacks in Paris that killed 130 people.

According to VNE