4 IS militants killed in eastern Iraq

BAGHDAD, March 17  -- Four Islamic State (IS) militants were killed on Sunday in an security operation in Iraq's eastern province of Diayla, a provincial police source said.

A special force affiliated with the intelligence service raided an IS hideout in Qizlaq area, some 160 km northeast of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, sparking a clash that resulted in the killing of four IS militants, including two wearing explosive belts, Sadiq al-Husseini, head of the security committee in Diyala provincial council, told Xinhua.

Faisal al-Abadi, police chief of Diyala province, confirmed the operation in a statement by his office and said that the killed extremist IS militants were preparing for a deadly attack on the headquarters of Diyala's provincial government in the capital city of Baquba, some 65 km northeast of Baghdad.

One security member was also wounded during the clash with IS militants, al-Abadi said.

Despite repeated military operations in the Diyala province, remnants of IS militants are still hiding in some rugged areas near the border with Iran, and in the sprawling areas extending from the western part of the province to the Himreen mountain range in northern the province.

Late in 2017, Iraq officially declared full liberation of its territories from IS militants after Iraqi forces recaptured all the areas once seized by the extremist group.

However, some IS groups and individuals regrouped in desert and rugged areas and are carrying out attacks against the security forces and civilians despite operations from time to time to hunt them down.