Isil militants declare 'caliphate'

BAGHDAD: Ruthless jihadists spearheading a Sunni militant offensive in Iraq have declared an “Islamic cali­phate” and ordered Muslims worldwide to pledge allegiance to their chief, in a spectacular bid to extend their authority.

The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant renamed itself simply the Islamic State (IS) and declared its shadowy frontman the leader of the world’s Muslims, in a clear challenge to Al-Qaeda for control of the global jihadist movement.