Anti-Islamic leaflets have been handed out in Ballaghaderreen ahead of the arrival of some 80 Syrian refugees in the town this month.

Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri called on young Muslim men in the US and other Western countries to carry out attacks inside there and urged greater unity between militants.

Al Qaeda confirmed that Nasir al-Wahishi, its number two figure and leader of its powerful Yemeni affiliate, has been killed in a US strike, making it the harshest blow to the global militant network since the killing of Osama bin Laden.

Al Qaeda’s Yemen offshoot could bring down a transatlantic passenger plane at any time, a new book by a former CIA leader has warned.