BAGHDAD, Oct. 4 (Xinhua) -- Two Iraqi soldiers were killed and two others wounded when a roadside bomb, left behind by the Islamic State (IS), exploded in western Iraq, the Defense Ministry said in a statement on Sunday.
The blast was caused by an improvised explosive device left behind by IS militants during a search and inspection mission in the northern Rawa desert, south of Nineveh province, according to the statement.
The wounded personnel were transferred to the hospital for treatment, and Iraqi armed forces will continue their operations to hunt down remaining terrorist elements and secure the country, it added.
The incident came after Ali al-Zaidi, Iraqi prime minister and commander-in-chief of the armed forces, on Wednesday officially announced the conclusion of the U.S.-led international coalition's mission to combat the IS in Iraq.
While Iraq declared victory over IS in 2017, the group's remnants continue to carry out attacks against security forces and civilians in cities, deserts and remote areas. ■
