Six IS militants killed in Iraq

BAGHDAD: Six Islamic State (IS) militants, including a senior group member, were killed in airstrikes on their hideout in the northern Iraqi province of Kirkuk, the Iraqi military said on Thursday.

The militants were killed in three airstrikes carried out by Iraqi F-16 jet fighters on an IS hideout based on intelligence reports and two months of monitoring, said a statement from the Security Media Cell, a media outlet affiliated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, Xinhua news agency reported.

The airstrikes were followed by a raid of security forces on the site where they found six bodies, one of which is believed to be a senior IS member known as Omer Salah Ne'ma, nicknamed Abu Khattab, the statement said.

The security forces also seized explosive belts, weapons and phones used by the terrorists, it added.

The security situation in Iraq has improved since the defeat of the IS in 2017. However, IS remnants have sneaked into urban centres, deserts, and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.