Iraqi security officer killed in car-bombing attack

BAGHDAD, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- A security officer in Iraq's Kurdistan region was killed on Friday by the explosion of two bombs attached to his car, the Kurdish Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) said in a statement.

The statement named the assassinated officer as Colonel Hawkar Abdullah, a Kurdish security officer, adding that the attack took place in Erbil, the capital of the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region.

The CTS said that the blast killed Abdullah and wounded four of his family members, adding that the attack was a terror act and investigation into the incident was launched.

Also on Friday, the Iraqi Interior Ministry's Intelligence Office said in a statement that the security forces spotted three Islamic State (IS) militants in a rugged area in the south of the city of Kirkuk, some 250 km north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad.

Based on accurate intelligence reports, Iraqi warplanes conducted an air strike on the militants' hideout, killing an IS local leader and two militants, the statement said, adding that an intelligence force arrived at the scene and found the bodies of the three militants.

Over the past months, Iraqi security forces have conducted operations against extremist militants to crack down on their intensified activities.

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