BAGHDAD, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Seven Islamic State (IS) militants were killed on Sunday in airstrikes in a mountainous area in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, the Iraqi military said.
Acting on intelligence reports, Iraqi F-16 fighter jets carried out two airstrikes on IS hideouts in Himreen mountain range in the northern part of Diyala province, leaving seven IS militants killed, spokesman of the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces Yahia Rasoul said in a statement.
Rasoul said that the leader of the extremist IS group in Diyala province was among those killed in the airstrikes.
The security situation in Iraq has been improving since the defeat of the IS in 2017. However, the IS militants have since melted into urban centers, deserts, and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. ■
