BAGHDAD, Aug. 1 (Xinhua) -- Four militants of the Islamic State (IS) group were killed on Monday in two operations in Salahudin Province north of Baghdad, a provincial security source said.
Acting on intelligence reports, a federal police force shot dead a suicide bomber wearing an explosive belt in the evening, and another detonated himself during a search operation in an area in the west of the city of Samarra, some 120 km north of Baghdad, Mohammed al-Bazi from the provincial police command told Xinhua.
A third suicide bomber fled the scene during the search operation, al-Bazi said, adding the police are looking for him in the surrounding area.
Meanwhile, a statement issued by the Hashd Shaabi paramilitary forces in the province said they killed two IS militants during an operation in the north of Samarra, without giving more details.
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 after defeating the IS. 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. ■
