BAGHDAD, May 16 (Xinhua) -- Three villagers and a policeman were killed Monday in two attacks by militants of the Islamic States (IS) group in Iraqi eastern province of Diyala, a provincial official and a police source said.
Taking advantage of a dust storm that swept through much of Iraq earlier in the day, the IS militants attacked a wheat farm outside a village near the town of Udheim in the northern part of Diyala and shot dead three villagers while working in the farm, Mohammed al-Obaidi, mayor of Udheim told Xinhua.
Later in the day, Iraqi security forces and villagers found the bodies of the three farmers in the farm, al-Obaidi said.
Separately, a policeman was killed and three wounded, including an officer, when a roadside bomb went off near their vehicle in orchards near the town of Abu Saida, northeast of the provincial capital Baquba, about 65 km northeast of Baghdad, Maj. Radie al-Saadi from the provincial police command told Xinhua.
Over the past few months, Iraqi security forces have conducted operations against the extremist militants to crack down on their intensified activities.
The security situation in Iraq has been improving since 2017. However, the IS remnants have since melted into urban centers, deserts, and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against the security forces and civilians. ■
