14 Islamic State militants killed in military operation in Iraq

Baghdad: The Iraqi military said on Friday that 14 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in a military operation in a desert in the Iraqi province of Anbar.

Based on intelligence reports and the two-month monitoring of IS militants' activities in four well-camouflaged hideouts in Anbar's desert, the military carried out airstrikes on the hideouts at 4:00 a.m. (0100 GMT) on Thursday, according to 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 an airdrop of airborne troops, who engaged in coordinated operations with the US-led international coalition. The troops clashed with IS militants who had fled the airstrikes, killing all of them, according to the statement.

A total of 14 IS militants were killed during the airstrikes and the clashes, some of whom were wearing explosive belts and carrying hand grenades, the statement noted, adding intelligence indicates that important IS leaders were among the dead.

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.