BAGHDAD, Jan. 10 (Xinhua) -- Three Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in an airstrike in Iraq's northern province of Kirkuk, the Iraqi military said on Wednesday.
Based on intelligence reports, Iraqi aircraft carried out an airstrike on IS hideouts in the rugged area of Wadi al-Shay southwest of the namesake provincial capital Kirkuk, some 250 km north of Baghdad, without specifying when the airstrike took place, said a statement from the Security Media Cell, a media outlet affiliated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command.
Afterward, a security force was dispatched to search the bombed hideout and found the bodies of three IS militants, along with explosive devices, night goggles, cameras, and several underground tunnels, all of which were destroyed, the statement said.
The security situation in Iraq has improved since the defeat of the IS in 2017. However, IS remnants have sneaked into deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. ■
