Five militants gunned down in Iraq: Police

The troops, backed by the army's artillery and US-led international coalition aircraft, attacked IS hideouts in Makhmour mountain range which extend in the provinces of Salahudin and Nineveh, Mohammed al-Bazi told Xinhua.

The operation resulted in the killing of five IS militants and the capture of two others including a local IS leader, al-Bazi said, adding weapons and ammunition were seized during the operation.

The mountain range and vast rural areas north of Iraq's capital Baghdad have witnessed intense activities by IS militants during the past months, despite repeated military operations to hunt them down.

The security situation in Iraq has been improving since the 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.