BEIRUT (Reuters) - An offshoot of al Qaeda which has captured swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria has declared itself an Islamic "Caliphate" and called on factions worldwide to pledge their allegiance, a statement posted on jihadist websites said on Sunday.
The move is an expansion of the group's ambitions to wage a holy war and posed a direct challenge to the central leadership of al Qaeda, which has already disowned it.
