In a video released yesterday by the Russian propaganda news channel RT, Russian special forces were shown training members of Liwa al Quds, a pro-regime Palestinian militia group in Syria.

One of the co-founders and senior leaders of al Qaeda’s Group for Support of Islam and Muslims (JNIM), Amadou Kouffa, denied reports of his death in a video published by the group. The French and Malian governments claimed Kouffa was killed last November, however, JNIM has consistently denied these reports.

Pakistan intensified its crackdown against Islamist militants on Thursday, with the government announcing it had taken control of 182 religious schools and detained more than 100 people as part of its push against banned groups.