Al Qaeda Chief Hints Joining Hands With ISIS In War Against Russia, US

Al Qaeda Chief Ayman al-Zawahiri has called the Muslim community in the world to come together against Iran, Russia and other local allies. He has also asked the community to go against Western countries.

Zawahiri has published an audio appeal on the Internet. The audio appeal released Sunday suggests collaboration between al Qaeda and the Islamic State group. The two militant organizations have been competing against each other over the establishment of supremacy in the Middle East.

Al Qaeda was reportedly weakened after the death of its mastermind Osama bin Laden. ISIS, on the other hand, has grown significantly stronger in the region over the last two years.

In the audio message, Zawahiri wonders if a joint Islamic force is not capable enough to fight Russians, Americans, Iranians and Alawites Hezbollah. He believes all Islamic organizations should focus on fighting these forces and mark them as common enemies.

"My mujahideen brothers in all places and of all groups ... we face aggression from America, Europe, and Russia ... so it's up to us to stand together as one from East Turkestan to Morocco," Reuters quoted Zawahiri as saying. "The Americans, Russians, Iranians, Alawites, and Hezbollah are coordinating their war against us -- are we not capable of stopping the fighting among ourselves so we can direct all our efforts against them?"

Zawahiri released another audio appeal in September and dismissed the legitimacy of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. However, he said al Qaeda followers would join ISIS fighters against the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq and Syria if there were such possibilities.

ISIS has already declared war against Russia and the U.S. as the Kremlin and Washington started anti-ISIS operations.