Baghdad: Four Islamic State (IS) militants were killed on Tuesday in an airstrike on IS hideouts in Iraq's northern province of Kirkuk, the Iraqi military said.

Based on intelligence reports, the Iraqi warplanes conducted an airstrike in the rugged area of Wadi al-Shay, southwest of the namesake provincial capital Kirkuk, some 250 km north of Baghdad, according to a statement issued by the Security Media Cell, a media outlet affiliated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command.

The airstrike resulted in the killing of four IS terrorists and the destruction of their hideouts, the statement added.

The security situation in Iraq has improved since the defeat of the IS in 2017. However, IS remnants have since melted into urban centers, deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.