BAGHDAD, Feb. 13 (Xinhua) -- Paramilitary Hashd Shaabi on Wednesday rescued about 30 civilians from Islamic State (IS) militants at a mountainous area in Iraq's central province of Salahudin.
"Some 30 civilians came under fire from IS terrorists while being on a hunting trip in Makhoul Mountain in the eastern part of Salahudin, sparking a clash between the militants and the civilian hunters," said a statement by the Hashd Shaabi.
A force from the Hashd Shaabi's 88th Brigade rushed to the scene and clashed with the extremist militants, wounding two of them before they fled, the statement added.
The security situation in Iraq has been dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces fully defeated the IS militants across the country late in 2017.
However, IS remnants have since melted or regrouped in urban and rugged areas, carrying out attacks against the security forces and civilians despite operations from time to time to hunt them down.
