BAGHDAD, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- At least three Islamic State (IS) militants were killed on Tuesday in an airstrike on an IS hideout in Iraq's northern province of Kirkuk, according to an army source.
Based on intelligence reports, the Iraqi warplanes conducted an airstrike in the rugged area of Wadi al-Shay, some 250 km north of the capital Baghdad, according to a statement issued by the Security Media Cell, a media outlet affiliated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command.
The airstrike destroyed the hideout and killed all IS militants inside, the statement said, without mentioning the death toll of the militants.
Meanwhile, an army source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity that "between three and five terrorists were killed."
The security situation in Iraq has improved since the defeat of the IS in 2017. However, the IS remnants have since melted into urban centers, deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. ■
