BAGHDAD, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Nine Islamic State (IS) militants were killed Tuesday in an operation in Iraq's northern province of Nineveh, the Iraqi military said.
An Iraqi force, known as Falcons intelligence unit, backed by U.S.-led international coalition's aircraft, destroyed a tunnel in al-Sahaji area, in southwest of the provincial capital Mosul, killing nine IS militants inside, Yahya Rasoul, spokesman of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, said in a statement.
The security situation in Iraq has dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces fully defeated the extremist IS militants across the country late in later 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.
