Six Islamic State militants killed south of Iraq’s Kirkuk

Kirkuk (IraqiNews.com) Six Islamic State militants were killed by Iraqi troops on Wednesday south of Kirkuk province as Iraq works to clear its territories from militants’ vestiges, a source was quoted saying.

Alsumaria News quoted the source saying that Popular Mobilization Forces were conducting a security patrol at al-Zab region, before they detected six militants and killed them immediately.

Iraq declared victory over the Islamic State early December, marking the collapse of the group’s self-proclaimed “caliphate” declared from Mosul in 2014.

Iraqi troops seized back Islamic State’s bastion in Kirkuk, Hawija, in September.

Though the group lost all of its havens, Iraqi forces continue to search for remnant fighters at areas they had recaptured.

News reports have recurrently told of mass executions of civilians and security members by IS in Hawija for collaborating with security, attempting to escape the enclave and for breaking the group’s extremist religious codes.