Two Daesh militants and Iraqi soldier killed in Diyala

The Iraqi military said Monday that two Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) militants as well as a soldier were killed during clashes in a rugged area of the country’s eastern province of Diyala.

An army force clashed with Daesh militants during an operation to hunt down the terrorists near Himreen Lake, about 80 kilometers north-east of the provincial capital Baquba, killing one soldier and injuring two others, according to Captain Mohammed al-Timimi of the Iraqi army, Xinhua reported.

The clashes ended after Iraqi helicopter gunships were called in to carry out airstrikes on Daesh positions, the Iraqi army Captain added.

Despite repeated military operations in the Diyala province, remnants of Daesh terrorists are still hiding in some rugged areas near the border with Iran and the sprawling area extending from the western part of the province to the Himreen mountain range, including Himreen Lake north of Baquba, which is located some 65 kilometers north-east of Baghdad.

Since the defeat of Daesh in 2017, the security situation in Iraq has improved. Its remnants, however, have since melted into urban areas, deserts, and rugged terrain, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.

Source: Tasnim News