Baghdad, Aug 12 (IANS): Iraqi security forces arrested 10 Islamic State (IS) militants in the country, including a senior official responsible for terrorist acts in Iraq and Syria, the military has said.

A force of Iraqi intelligence carried out an operation in the town of al-Rumana near the border with Syria in Anbar province on Sunday, arresting Abu Safiyah al-Iraqi, who previously served as a senior official of the IS group, Xinhua news agency reported, citing a statement by the Security Media Cell, a media outlet affiliated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command.

The statement added that al-Iraqi is wanted by the Iraqi judiciary on charges of committing terrorist acts against Iraqi and Syrian forces.

The Iraqi National Security Service said in a separate statement that its forces arrested nine terrorism suspects.

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