Security forces repel major IS attack in Iraq's Salahudin province

Iraqi security forces on Monday repelled a major attack of the Islamic State (IS) militants in a mountainous area in the country's northern central province of Salahudin, leaving at least 25 IS militants killed, a provincial security source said.

The onslaught occurred in the early morning when dozens of IS militants backed by heavy machine guns, mortar and rockets barrage advanced on the military positions in Makhoul mountain range, the source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The troops and allied paramilitary units, known as Hashd Shaabi, fought back the attackers covered by the Iraqi aircraft and managed to repel their attack, leaving at least 25 IS militants killed and destroyed three of their suicide truck bombs and four vehicles carrying heavy machine guns, the source said, adding that four security members were also killed and 19 others wounded by the clashes.

During the battle, the Iraqi warplanes and helicopter gunships pounded the IS supply routes on the roads from the IS-held town of Hawijah, some 90 km west of the northern city of Kirkuk, the source said.

Sporadic clashes continued in the rugged areas near the oil fields of Allas and Ajil in east of Salahudin provincial capital city of Tikrit, which located some 170 km north of Baghdad, the source said.

The Sunni Arab predominated province of Salahudin has been the scene of a major offensive by Iraqi security forces and allied paramilitary units, known as Hashd Shaabi, which managed to retake control of key towns of the province from the hands of IS militants who seized large part of it in June 2014. Endit