Baghdad, May 20 (IANS): A total of eight Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in two security operations in Iraq's Diyala and Salahudin provinces, security sources said.

Based on intelligence reports, the security forces conducted a security operation on Tuesday in Wadi Thlab area, some 140 km northeast of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, Ali al-Sudani, from the Diyala provincial police, told Xinhua.

The operation resulted in the killing of four IS militants and the destruction of six IS hideouts as well as two motorcycles, al-Sudani said.

In the province of Salahudin, four would-be suicide bombers wearing explosive belts were killed when a police force attacked their position in al-Jazira area the western part of the province, Mohammed al-Bazi from the provincial police told Xinhua.

The operations came as the extremist IS militants intensified their attacks on the security forces, including Hashd Shaabi forces, and civilians in the formerly IS-controlled Sunni provinces since the beginning of the holy month of Ramadan, resulting in the killing and wounding of dozens.

The security situation in Iraq has been improving since Iraqi security forces fully defeated the IS militants across the country late in 2017.

However, IS remnants have since melted in urban areas or deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.