BAGHDAD, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Altogether eight Islamic State (IS) militants were killed on Monday in an operation at desert area in Iraq's central province of Salahudin, a provincial security source said.
Acting on intelligence reports, the Iraqi army and police forces, backed by Iraqi and U.S.-led international coalition aircraft, carried out an operation against an IS hideout in a desert area in west of the town of Baiji, some 200 km north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, Mohammed al-Bazi from Salahudin's Operations Command, told Xinhua.
The operations resulted in the killing of eight IS militants, destruction of their vehicle and seizing large amount of weapons and ammunition, al-Bazi said.
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.
