Three Iraqi soldiers were killed Tuesday in a roadside bomb explosion in the eastern province of Diyala, a local source said.
The incident took place in the evening when a roadside bomb detonated near an army vehicle in a village outside the town of Bani Saad, some 25 km south of the provincial capital Baquba, the town mayor Najm al-Saadi told Xinhua.
The explosion destroyed the military vehicle and killed three soldiers onboard, al-Saadi said, adding the security forces rushed to the scene and launched an investigation into the incident.
Despite repeated military operations in Diyala, Islamic State (IS) remnants are still hiding in some rugged areas near the border with Iran and the vast areas extending from the western part of the province to the Hamreen mountain range in the north of Baquba, about 65 km northeast of Baghdad.
The security situation in Iraq has been improving since Iraqi forces fully defeated the IS militants across the country late in 2017.
However, IS remnants have since melted in urban areas or deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. (ANI/Xinhua)
( With inputs from ANI )
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