BAGHDAD, July 15 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) forces on Wednesday killed six Islamic State (IS) militants in northern Iraq and arrested four others near the capital Baghdad.
In the early morning, the CTS troops, backed by the international coalition aircraft, conducted a security operation in an area in the southern part of Kirkuk Province and killed six IS militants, the CTS said in a statement.
In a separate operation, the CTS forces arrested three IS militants in al-Taji area, some 25 km north of Baghdad, and another militant in Abu Ghraib area, some 20 km west of Baghdad, the statement said.
The operations came as the extremist IS militants have intensified their attacks on the security forces, including Hashd Shaabi forces, and civilians in the formerly IS-controlled Sunni provinces, resulting in the killing and wounding of dozens.
The security situation in Iraq has been improving since Iraqi security forces fully defeated the IS militants across the country late in 2017.
However, IS remnants have since melted in urban areas or deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. Enditem
