Baghdad, Mar 10 (IANS): Six Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in airstrikes in a desert area between the provinces of Salahudin and Nineveh, the Iraqi military said.

Iraqi warplanes carried out four airstrikes on six IS militants hiding inside a tunnel in the Tharthar desert based on intelligence reports, according to a statement on Saturday from the Security Media Cell, a media outlet affiliated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command.

Tahsin al-Khafaji, spokesman for the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, told Xinhua news agency that the airstrikes killed all the militants inside the tunnel, without revealing the exact date of the airstrikes.

He said that the destroyed tunnel was an important hideout for the militants, as its strategic location allowed terrorists to carry out attacks in the provinces of Salahudin, Nineveh and Anbar, Xinhua news agency reported.

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.