Baghdad, Nov 23 (IANS): Five Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in airstrikes in the northern Iraqi province of Kirkuk, the Iraqi military said on Saturday.

Acted on intelligence reports, Iraqi forces on Friday carried out airstrikes on an IS hideout in a rugged area west of the namesake provincial capital, Kirkuk, some 250 km north of Baghdad, according to a statement from the Security Media Cell, a media outlet affiliated with the Iraqi Joint Operations Command, Xinhua news agency reported.

On Saturday morning, a joint force from the Iraqi army and intelligence searched the bombed site and found the bodies of five 'terrorists,' the statement said.

It noted that the joint force also found four rifles, two explosive belts, six hand grenades, ammunition, logistical materials, and communication devices at the site.

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.