Leading exorcist says IS controlled by Satan

A leading Catholic Church exorcist has said that the Islamic State (IS), which aims to establish an Islamic caliphate in the areas seized by it, is controlled by Satan.

Italian Roman Catholic priest Gabriele Amorth, founder of the International Association of Exorcists, noted that as the terror group continued to advance through the Middle East, the west abandoned the blessing of schools, took crosses out of schools, and strayed from the path of God, reported The Daily Star.

He said that Satan kept saying that the world was in his power and added that what he said was true. "Biblically speaking, we are in the last days and the beast is working furiously," the priest warned.

The IS controls large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria. They have also persecuted and murdered people belonging to religious minorities in the areas.