Four Islamic State militants, including suicide bombers, killed in Samarra

Salahuddin (IraqiNews.com) – Iraqi troops have killed four Islamic State terrorists including three suicide bombers during a security campaign in Samarra city, Salahuddin, a security spokesman was quoted as saying.

Speaking to the Baghdad Post website  Sunday, spokesman for the Security Media Center Brig. Gen. Yehia Rasool said, “Troops from the Samarra Operations Command carried out a preemptive operation in Samarra city, targeting a hotbed of the Islamic State group.”

“The troops killed four IS terrorists, including three suicide bombers, who were planning to carry out terrorist attacks in Samarra city,” the spokesman pointed out.

He noted that another IS militant was arrested in an island, west of Samarra.

Iraq declared the collapse of Islamic State’s territorial influence last November with the recapture of Rawa, a city on Anbar’s western borders with Syria, which was the group’s last bastion in Iraq.

In December, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi declared final victory over Islamic State three years after the militant group captured about a third of Iraq’s territory.

Despite the group’s crushing defeat at its main havens across Iraq, Islamic State continues to launch sporadic attacks against troops with security reports warning that the militant group still poses a threat against stability in the country.