3 IS militants killed in U.S.-led airstrike in eastern Iraq

BAQUBA, Iraq, April 20 (Xinhua) -- Three Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in an airstrike by an anti-IS international coalition in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala on Friday, while an Iraqi soldier died in a bomb explosion in the province, a local police source said.

Acting on intelligence reports, the U.S.-led coalition aircraft bombarded an IS hideout in Zour area, some 110 km northeast of Iraq's capital Baghdad, destroying the hideout and leaving three militants killed, Maj. Haider al-Sadi from Baquba police told Xinhua.

When an army force advanced to the destroyed hideout, a roadside bomb hit one of their vehicles, killing a soldier and wounding two others aboard, Sadi said.

Despite repeated military operations in Diyala, IS remnants were still hiding in rugged areas near the border with Iran in the east of the province, as well as the sprawling areas extending from its western part to Himreen mountainous area in the north of Diyala's capital Baquba, some 65 km northeast of Baghdad.

The militants are still capable of carrying out attacks against civilians and security forces despite occasional operations to hunt them down. Enditem