Iraqi warplanes kill four Islamic State extremists in Diyala

Diyala (IraqiNews.com) – Four Islamic State militants were killed Tuesday in an air raid that was launched by the Iraqi Air Force to target terrorist hotbeds in Diyala, a well-placed provincial official said.

“Iraqi warplanes targeted several hotbeds of Islamic State in Balkana village, 90km northeast of Baqubah, leaving four IS extremists killed,” Sadeq al-Husseini, the head of Diyala provincial council’s security committee, told the Baghdad Today news website.

Al-Husseini added that several airstrikes were launched over the past period across the rugged terrain in Diyala to target Islamic State militants, who are still active in some villages.

The Islamic State group appeared on the international scene in 2014 when it seized large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria, declaring the establishment of an Islamic “caliphate” from Mosul city.

Later on, the group has become notorious for its brutality, including mass killings, abductions and beheadings, prompting the U.S. to lead an international coalition to destroy it.

Despite the group’s crushing defeat at its main havens across Iraq, Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks against troops with security reports warning that the militant group still poses a threat against stability in the country.