BAGHDAD, June 23 (Xinhua) -- The Iraqi Counter-Terrorism Service (CTS) forces, backed by Iraqi and U.S.-led coalition aircraft, ended two-day offensive to hunt down Islamic State (IS) militants in rural area between the provinces of Nineveh and Salahudin, the Iraqi military said on Sunday.
The troops started their offensive on Friday and conducted multiple airdrops and search operations in the vast rural area between Hatra in south of Mosul and al-Seniyah area in north of the town of Baiji, which is located some 200 km north of the Iraqi capital Baghdad, a media office of the Iraqi Joint Operations Command said in a statement.
The international coalition aircraft conducted eight airstrikes on selected targets during the offensive, the statement said without giving further details.
The offensive resulted in the destruction of 10 tunnels and caves used by the extremist militants, killing unknown number of IS militants inside, the statement said.
It said the offensive also cut the supply route of the militants between Hatra and al-Seniyah and the surrounding areas.
Despite repeated military operations in the rugged areas and deserts of Salahudin and Nineveh provinces, some IS militants are still active there and are carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians.
