BAGHDAD, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Five militants of the extremist Islamic State (IS) group were killed in a clash in a rural area near the Iraqi capital Baghdad, the Iraqi official news agency reported on Tuesday.
A paramilitary Hashd Shaabi force clashed with the IS militants after spotting them late on Monday in the Tarmiyah area, some 30 km north of Baghdad, the Iraqi News Agency said, adding that all five of them were killed.
Over the past 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. ■
