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.

Militants ambushed a convoy of pro-government, Shi’ite Muslim paramilitary fighters in northern Iraq on Wednesday night, killing at least seven of them and wounding 30, Iraqi military and police said on Thursday.