In Iraq, nine Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in a military operation in Anbar province. In a statement, the Iraqi military today said that the Counter-Terrorism Service carried out an airdrop of troops and engaged in clashes with IS militants in a desert area north of the town of al-Rutba, around 400 kilometres west of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad. The military said that the troops killed nine IS militants, including seven suicide bombers, and destroyed their weapons, ammunition, and other logistical equipment. The security situation in Iraq has improved since the defeat of IS in 2017. However, IS remnants have sneaked into urban centres, deserts, and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerrilla attacks against security forces and civilians.