国际英语新闻:Hashd Shaabi seizes IS drone, destroys hideouts in eastern Iraq

BAGHDAD, Sept. 20 (Xinhua) -- The paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces on Friday seized a drone belonging to the Islamic State (IS) and destroyed hideouts of the extremist militants in the eastern province of Diyala, a local security official said.

Acting on intelligence tip-off, a force from the Hashd Shaabi's 24th brigade carried out a search operation to reach an island in Himreen Lake in northeast of Diyala's provincial capital Baquba, some 65 km northeast of Baghdad, Ali al-Tamimi, head of the security committee of al-Muqdadiya town hall, told Xinhua.

The Hashd Shaabi fighters found a drone belonging to IS and took it to a security site for inspection, al-Tamimi said, adding that the IS militants had used drones during the battles against Iraq's security forces.

During the operation, the Hashd Shaabi forces discovered and destroyed three IS hideouts used for storing arms and supplies by the extremist militants, al-Tamimi said.

Al-Tamimi explained that the attacked island was used by IS militants as a launching pad as the militants used to bring weapons and equipment from the nearby Himreen mountain range to store them in the lake in order to launch attacks on the town of Sadiya and nearby villages and towns.

Despite repeated military operations in Diyala, IS remnants were still hiding in rugged areas near the border with Iran, as well as the sprawling areas extending from the western part of Diyala to Himreen mountainous area in the northern part of the province.

The security situation in Iraq was dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces fully defeated the extremist IS militants across the country late in 2017.

IS remnants, however, have since melted in urban areas or resorted to deserts and rugged areas as safe havens, carrying out frequent hit-and-run attacks against security forces and civilians.