5 IS militants killed in airstrikes in Iraq, says official

Baghdad: Five Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in airstrikes in Iraq’s eastern province of Diyala, the Iraqi military said.

Based on intelligence reports, Iraqi warplanes carried out two airstrikes on IS hideouts in the mountainous area of Narin near the Himreen mountain range of northern Diyala, destroying the hideouts and killing five IS militants, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement issued by the Security Media Cell, a media outlet affiliated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command.

Despite repeated military operations against IS remnants, extremist militants are still hiding in deserts and the Himreen mountains in the provinces of Diyala, Salahuddin, and Kirkuk.

Since the defeat of the IS in 2017, the remnants of the extremist group have melted into urban centers, deserts, and mountainous areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.