An intelligence force raided the hideout in Buhruz area in south of the provincial capital Baquba, some 65 km northeast of Baghdad, sparking a fierce clash with IS militants for half an hour, and killed four militants inside, Ali Jasim from the provincial police told Xinhua.

The troops also seized two explosive belts in the site, Jasim said, adding that the IS militants were Iraqi nationals and believed to be involved in attacks against the security forces.

Despite repeated military operations in the Diyala province, remnants of IS militants are still hiding in some rugged areas across the province as well as the sprawling areas extending from the western part of the province to the neighboring provinces of Salahudin and Kirkuk.

The security situation in Iraq has been dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces fully defeated the extremist IS militants across the country late in 2017.