4 Iraqi soldiers killed in IS attack

Baghdad, July 18 Four Iraqi soldiers were killed in an attack staged by militants of the Islamic State (IS) terror group in the northern province of Kirkuk, a police source said.

The attack took place on Saturday when IS militants opened fire on an army outpost in a village near the al-Dibis area northwest of the namesake provincial capital Kirkuk, some 250 km north of Baghdad, the source told Xinhua news agency.

The attack triggered a fierce clash that resulted in the killing of the four Iraqi soldiers, he said.

Iraqi security forces arrived at the scene and launched a search for the attackers in the nearby rugged area.

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

However, IS remnants have since retreated into deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civil.