ISIS flag (illustration)
ISIS flag (illustration)Reuters

The Islamic State (ISIS) jihadist group, on the defensive in Iraq and Syria where it declared a "caliphate" two years ago, on Monday presented a new spokesman who urged its fighters not to flee.

The new spokesman was named as Abulhassan al-Muhajer, in an audio message broadcast by Al-Furqan, an ISIS propaganda organ.

In the audio message, the new spokesman called for patience from the group's fighters and urged them to hold fast and "not to flee" the battlefield, promising "victory".

Al-Muhajer replaces previous spokesman Abu Mohammad al-Furqan, who was killed earlier this year.

The Pentagon said a precision air strike killed him three months ago near the group's de facto Syrian capital of Raqa.

His death followed that of another ISIS spokesman, Abu Mohamed al-Adnani, who was killed in an American air strike on August 30.

Adnani was believed to have been ISIS's second highest ranking leader, after founder Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi.

On November 3, al-Baghdadi broke a nearly year-long silence as Iraqi forces closed in on Mosul, urging his jihadists to hold their ground in the city against an offensive launched on October 17.

The recording came several months after it was reported that al-Baghdadi had been killed by coalition air strikes in Syria.

On Monday, the new ISIS spokesman called for attacks on Turkey which has troops stationed at a base near Mosul and is also battling the jihadist group in Syria.

AFP contributed to this report.