3 Daesh terrorists killed in northern Iraq

By Ali Mukarrem Garip

KIRKUK, Iraq (AA) - At least three Daesh terrorists were killed in airstrikes by the Iraqi army in the country's north, police said Friday.

The strikes hit 40 kilometers (28.5 miles) east of Kirkuk province killing the militants, provincial police spokesperson Afrasyav Kamil told Anadolu Agency.

Asserting that Daesh has no military power left but is still hiding in abandoned areas in eastern Kirkuk, Kamil said: "Some villages where locals have not returned have become hideouts for the last of the terror group's members."

Kamil said there are some injured terrorists in the area, without revealing an exact number. He added that a number of security units were deployed in the area and a search for terrorists is underway.

Late last year, officials in Baghdad declared that Daesh's military presence in Iraq had been all but destroyed.

It appears the terrorist group, however, still maintains “sleeper cells” in several parts of the country, including the oil-rich Kirkuk province.