They were both there to combat Islamic State militants, at least officially, but at times have also waged a proxy war to prop up or undermine Assad, respectively.

The US military says it has carried out a series of air strikes on the Yemeni capital Sanaa targeting a missile storage site and command facilities operated by Iran-backed Houthi militants.

Hamas and two other Palestinian militant groups said that reaching a ceasefire agreement in Gaza "has become closer than ever before" only if Israel "stops imposing new conditions".

This gesture is used by all Muslims in daily prayer, but it's also widely used by IS militants in propaganda images.

This move was likely also aimed at alleviating fears about militants running a province, seeking to distance itself from the brutal image associated with IS's rule over territories in Syria and Iraq.