BAGHDAD, May 27 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces on Monday killed three Islamic State (IS) militants and arrested three suspected local IS leaders in two incidents in the central provinces of Salahudin and Diyala, a security source said.
The Iraqi army's helicopter gunships pounded an IS hideout in Mteibijah area in Salahudin province near the provincial border with Diyala, killing three IS militants and destroying their hideout, Sadiq al-Husseini, head of the security committee of Diyala's provincial council, told Xinhua.
Separately, security forces acted on intelligence reports and conducted search operations across Diyala province, resulted in capturing three suspects believed to be local IS leaders, al-Husseini said, adding the detainees are currently being interrogated by security forces.
Despite repeated military operations in Diyala, some 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 the northern part of the province.
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 as safe havens, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.
