BAGHDAD, Aug. 14 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces on Tuesday repelled an attack by Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, while an IS militant was killed in an airstrike on IS hideout in the province, a provincial security source said.
The extremist IS militants attacked in the morning a base of paramilitary tribal fighters in Mansouriyah area, some 110 km northeast of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, after a mortar barrage, Major Alaa al-Saadi, from the provincial Operations Command, told Xinhua.
The paramilitary fighters repelled the attack after a heavy clash with the attackers, who withdrew from the scene, Saadi said without giving further details about casualties.
In a separate incident, an Iraqi army helicopter gunship pounded an IS hideout near Albu Jum'a village in the western edge of Diyala, leaving an IS militant killed and two others wounded, Saadi said.
Despite repeated military operations in Diyala province, remnants of IS militants were still hiding in rugged areas near the border with Iran, as well as the sprawling areas extending from western part of Diyala to Himreen mountainous area in the northern part of the province.
On Dec. 9, 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi officially declared full liberation of Iraq from the IS. However, small groups of IS militants have since regrouped in rugged areas, carrying out attacks against security forces and civilians from time to time.
