A man reacts beside bodies of the kidnapped people in Toz Khurmato, Iraq, on June 27, 2018. Iraqi security forces on Wednesday found eight executed bodies of people kidnapped earlier by the extremist Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, a provincial security source said. (Xinhua)

BAQUBA, Iraq, June 27 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces on Wednesday found eight executed bodies of people kidnapped earlier by the extremist Islamic State (IS) militants in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, a provincial security source said.

The troops found the bodies near the village of Sarha at the border with Salahudin Province during a search operation for people kidnapped by IS militants.

The dead are six policemen and members of paramilitary Hashd Shaabi forces, who were kidnapped and held hostages by the extremist militants, Lt. Gen. Mezhir al-Azzawi, commander of Diyala Operations Command, told Xinhua.

The bodies were found booby-trapped and handcuffed with bullet holes in their heads and chests, Azzawi said.

Azzawi is confident that the six security members were among the bodies, but further confirmation is still needed to verify their identities.

During the operation, the troops also destroyed four IS hideouts and defused five roadside bombs in the rugged area in the northern part of Diyala Province, he said.

Recently, IS militants repeatedly carried out attacks on security forces and civilians, and abducted dozens of people at fake checkpoints on a main road between Baghdad and Kirkuk.

On Tuesday, Ahmed Abdul Jabbar al-Kraiym, head of Salahudin's provincial council, warned of increasing attacks by IS militants in central Iraq, holding the government in Baghdad responsible for security deterioration.

Kraiym warned of "catastrophic situation in the province if the government does not deal with the increasing presence of IS militants."

The security forces "are busy with smuggling fuel and taking bribes from the citizens at checkpoints, while neglecting the security issues," he charged.

During the past months, hundreds of IS militants fled their former urban strongholds in Mosul, Salahudin Province and Hawija area in the west of Kirkuk, after Iraqi forces took over these regions in major offensives.

On Dec. 9, 2017, Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi officially declared full liberation of Iraq from the IS after Iraqi forces recaptured all the areas once seized by the extremist group.

However, small groups of IS militants have since regrouped in rugged areas, carrying out attacks against security forces and civilians from time to time.