Al-Qaida Leader Urges Muslims to Take Revenge Against the U.S. Over Koran Burnings

CAIRO (The Blaze/AP) -- Al-Qaida's leader has urged Muslims to take revenge for the February burning of Koran Muslim holy books at a U.S. air base in Afghanistan.

Ayman al-Zawahri posted an audio on a militant website on Wednesday. The release comes just two days after the terror group released a clip featuring American hostage Warren Weinstein pleading for President Obama to agree to the militant group's demands.

In the most recent audio release, Al-Zawahri called on Muslims to avenge the burning by fighting "those aggressors who occupied your countries, stole your wealth and violated your sanctities."

(Related: American Al-Qaeda Captive Makes Video Plea to Obama: ‘My Life Is In Your Hands, Mr. President’)

The recording was released by Al-Sahab, al-Qaida's media arm, and reported by the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors militant messages.

The U.S. apologized, saying the Islamic texts were mistakenly sent to a garbage burn pit. Deadly protests raged in Afghanistan for six days afterward.

Al-Zawahri said the Americans and their allies commit crimes and then pretend to be sorry. He called that a "silly farce."