12 IS militants killed in anti-terror raid in northern Iraq

A total of 12 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed on Wednesday in a raid on IS hideouts in rugged areas in northern Iraq, the Iraqi military said, reported Xinhua.

Acting on intelligence reports, the Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) forces, backed by Iraqi and international coalition aircraft, conducted the raid in Qara-Chokh Mountain near the town of Makhmour, some 60 km southeast of Nineveh's provincial capital Mosul, said Yehia Rasool, spokesman of the commander-in-chief of the Iraqi forces, in a statement.

During the raid, 59 airstrikes were conducted on caves and positions used by IS militants in the area, according to the statement.

The raid came as the extremist IS militants intensified their attacks on the security forces, including Hashd Shaabi forces, and civilians in the formerly IS-controlled Sunni provinces, resulting in killing and wounding of dozens.

The security situation in Iraq has been improving since Iraqi security forces fully defeated the IS militants across the country late in 2017.

However, IS remnants have since melted in urban areas or deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.