BAGHDAD, Oct. 3 (Xinhua) -- Six Islamic State (IS) militants were killed on Saturday in a U.S.-led coalition airstrike in a rugged area in the northeast of Iraq's capital Baghdad, a security source said.
The international coalition aircraft conducted an airstrike early morning on IS positions in the village of Albu-Jumaa at a rugged area in the northern part of Diyala province, Major Alaa al-Saadi from Salahudin provincial police told Xinhua.
The airstrike destroyed the positions of the extremist militants who were preparing to carry out attacks on paramilitary tribal fighters affiliated with the Hashd Shaabi forces in the nearby villages, al-Saadi said.
Despite repeated military operations against IS remnants, the extremist militants are still hiding in deserts and rugged areas as well as in Himreen mountain range which extends in the provinces of Diyala, Salahudin, and Kirkuk.
The security situation in Iraq has been improved 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
