Baghdad, Nov 24 (IANS): The Iraqi National Security Service (INSS) announced that it had dismantled an Islamic State (IS) cell and arrested six IS militants, including the group's leader in Iraq's Kurdistan region, in the northern province of Kirkuk.

Acting on intelligence reports and in coordination with regional Kurdish security forces, Iraqi security personnel on Saturday raided a safehouse where seven IS militants were gathering in the namesake provincial capital, Kirkuk, some 250 km north of Baghdad, the INSS said in a statement.

The statement added that a clash broke out between the two sides during the raid, which led to the suicide of one of the terrorists and the arrest of the other six, as reported by Xinhua news agency.

The statement said that one of the arrested was allegedly the leader of the IS group in the Kurdistan region and that they were planning an attack on government sites and senior officials in Kirkuk province.

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 guerrilla attacks against security forces and civilians.