Baghdad, Oct 15 (IANS): Four Islamic State (IS) militants, including a senior member, were killed in airstrikes on their hideout in the northern Iraqi province of Kirkuk, the Iraqi military said on Tuesday.

Iraqi F-16 jet fighters carried out two airstrikes at 11.30 p.m. on Monday (2030 GMT), targeting an IS hideout in the Lylan area of the namesake provincial capital Kirkuk, some 250 km north of Baghdad, according to a statement of the Security Media Cell, a media outlet affiliated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Tuesday morning, a security force was dispatched to the bombed site, where they found four bodies, one of which is believed to be a senior IS member, the statement said.

The airstrikes also destroyed weapons, communication equipment and other logistical materials, it added.

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.