BAGHDAD, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) -- Four Islamic State (IS) militants were killed on Saturday in airstrikes on their hideouts in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, a provincial official said.

Iraqi warplanes conducted airstrikes on three IS hideouts near Himreen Lake in north of the provincial capital Baquba, some 65 km northeast of Baghdad, Sadiq al-Husseini, head of the security committee of the provincial council, told Xinhua.

The airstrikes destroyed the three hideouts and killed four IS militants inside, al-Husseini said citing intelligence reports.

Despite repeated military operations in Diyala province, remnants of IS militants are still hiding in some rugged areas near the border with Iran, and in the sprawling areas extending from the western part of the province to the Himreen mountain range in north of Baquba.

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 guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.