Baghdad, Oct 20 (IANS): Four Islamic State (IS) militants, including a senior member, were killed on Sunday in an airstrike in Salahudin province north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, the Iraqi military said.

The airstrike came after days of surveillance by Iraqi military intelligence which had located the militants in a rugged area in the northern part of the province, according to a statement of the Security Media Cell, a media outlet affiliated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command.

The statement added that the airstrike resulted in the killing of four IS militants, including the leader of the IS group in the province, while destroying weapons, ammunition, explosive belts, communication devices, and various logistical supplies, 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 centers, deserts, and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.