BAGHDAD, April 14 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi forces killed on Sunday a prominent Islamic State (IS) leader and three of his aides in the eastern province of Diyala.
Acting on intelligence reports, Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS), backed by the Iraqi army's gunships and the U.S.-led coalition aircraft, carried out an operation in Himreen mountain range in the province, the CTS said in a statement.
Mohammed Salman Dawood, military leader of the IS in Himreen, and his three aides, were killed in the operation, according to the statement, without giving further details.
The killing was part of a large-scale operation launched on Thursday against the IS positions in Himreen mountain range that stretches in Iraq's central provinces of Salahudin and Diyala.
Despite repeated military operations in the past few months in Diyala, some IS militants are still hiding in some rugged areas near the border with Iran, and in sprawling areas extending from the western part of the province to the Himreen mountain range in the north of the provincial capital Baquba.
The security situation in Iraq was dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces fully defeated the extremist IS militants across the country late in 2017.
IS remnants, however, have since melted in urban areas or resorted to deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.
