IS militants killed in military operation in northern Iraq

BAGHDAD, April 4 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi armed forces have killed several militants of the extremist Islamic States (IS) group on Monday during a raid on its hideouts near the city of Mosul, northern Iraq, the military's media office said in a statement.

Acting on intelligence reports, an Iraqi army force carried out a search campaign in the Nuwaigit mountain and found some tunnels and caves, where the troops engaged a suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt and shot him dead, the statement said.

During the clash inside one of the tunnels, another suicide bomber blew himself up, wounding two officers and two soldiers, the statement said.

Later on, Iraqi warplanes were called in and carried out two airstrikes on two tunnels where some IS militants were still hiding, the statement said without specifying the death toll.

The security situation in Iraq has been improving since the Iraqi forces defeated the IS in 2017. However, IS remnants have since melted into urban centers, deserts, and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.