BAGHDAD, June 25 (Xinhua) -- An Iraqi army officer and three Islamic State (IS) militants were killed on Sunday in a clash in Iraq's northern province of Kirkuk, the Iraqi military said.
Based on intelligence reports, an army force was sent to the Turkelan area, southwest of the namesake provincial capital Kirkuk, after spotting three IS militants in the agricultural area, according to a statement issued by the Security Media Cell, a media outlet affiliated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command.
It stated that the troops clashed with the extremist militants after surrounding them, killing them all and detonating their explosive belts.
The clash also resulted in the killing of an army officer and the injury of another, it added.
The security situation in Iraq has improved since the defeat of the IS in 2017. However, IS remnants have since melted into urban centers, deserts, and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. ■
