Baghdad: In a decisive operation, Iraqi security forces successfully neutralized four Islamic State (IS) militants in a desert area of central Iraq, as confirmed by the Iraqi military.
Paramilitary fighters, affiliated with the Iraqi Hashd Shaabi forces and hailing from local tribal groups, engaged in a pursuit of a pickup truck carrying four IS militants. The clash ensued in the Tharthar desert, resulting in the destruction of the truck and the elimination of all militants on board, including one equipped with an explosive belt, according to a statement released by the Security Media Cell, an outlet linked with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command.
This operation forms part of a concerted effort by the Iraqi army, police, and Hashd Shaabi forces to track down IS militants across the expansive desert terrain spanning the provinces of Salahudin, Nineveh, and Anbar, the statement outlined, citing a report from news agency.