Iraqi forces kill 13 IS militants in 3 provinces

Iraqi security forces have killed 13 Islamic State (IS) militants during a series of operations in the provinces of Kirkuk, Nineveh and Diyala, the military has said.

Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS), backed by helicopters, managed to kill 13 IS militants during an attack on their hideout during operations conducted over the past week, Yahia Rasoul, spokesman of the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement.

The statement did not reveal the location of the hideout and when the militants were killed.

The CTS forces also found a number of caches containing weapons, explosives, and communication devices during the operations in the Hamrin mountain range in northern Diyala and a village in Kirkuk, Rasoul added.

Over the past few months, Iraqi security forces have conducted operations against the extremist militants to crack down on their intensified activities.

The security situation in Iraq has improved after Iraqi forces defeated the IS militant group in 2017. However, the IS remnants have since melted into urban centers, deserts, and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against the security forces and civilians.