Baghdad, Jul 12 (IANS): Two Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in a clash with Iraqi security forces in the eastern province of Diyala, the Iraqi military said on Friday.

Acting on intelligence reports, an army force backed by armed villagers clashed with the two militants in an orchard in a village in Diyala province and killed them, according to a statement from the Security Media Cell, a media outlet affiliated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, reports Xinhua news agency.

One of the IS militants was wearing an explosive belt and the troops defused it after his death, the statement said.

According to the intelligence reports, one of the two militants was Abu al-Harith, a local IS leader in the Khan Bani Saad area south of Diyala's provincial capital Baquba, the statement added.

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