BAGHDAD, May 25 (Xinhua) -- A total of three paramilitary Hashd Shaabi members were killed in two attacks by militants of the extremist Islamic State (IS) group in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, a police source said on Wednesday.
Early in the morning, a clash erupted when the IS militants attacked a Hashd Shaabi outpost in the Mansouriyah area northeast of the provincial capital Baquba, some 65 km northeast of Baghdad, Major Alaa al-Saadi from the provincial police told Xinhua.
The clash resulted in the killing of two Hashd Shaabi members and the wounding of another, al-Saadi said.
Late on Tuesday night, IS militants attacked Hashd Shaabi positions in the Himren mountain range in the northern part of Diyala province, sparking clashes with the attackers that resulted in the killing of a Hashd Shaabi member, al-Saadi added.
He said that Iraqi security forces intensified security measures and dispatched reinforcement troops in anticipation of further attacks.
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. ■
