ISLAMIC MILITANTS: The Nigerian government announced a new military operation to tackle Islamic militants today.

This follows the killing of more than 160 people in western Kwara state, many of them reportedly for resisting extremist ideology.

Local officials said 162 people were killed during the Tuesday attack in the villages of Woro and Nuku, one of the deadliest attacks in the country outside of the known conflict hot spots.

No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack in the Muslim-majority villages.

MILITARY DIALOGUE: The United States and Russia agreed today to re-establish high level military-to-military dialogue following a meeting between senior Russian and American military officials in Abu Dhabi, the United States European Command said in a statement.

The agreement was reached following meetings between General Alexus Grynkewich, the Commander of US European Command, who is also Nato Supreme Allied Commander Europe, and senior Russian and Ukrainian military officials, the statement said.

OFFENSIVE: Pakistan’s military concluded a week-long security operation in the south-western Balochistan province today.

Islamabad said its forces killed 216 fighters in targeted offensives against the separatist Balochistan Liberation Army following the group’s campaign to “destabilise the peace of Balochistan.”

PORTUGAL: A man was killed in Portugal after floodwaters engulfed his car, meanwhile a girl in Spain went missing after being swept away by a river, it was reported today.

This comes as Storm Leonardo has battered the Iberian Peninsula with torrential rain and gale-force winds.

The storm is the latest in a wave of storms to sweep across Portugal and Spain already this year.