BAGHDAD, July 20 (Xinhua) -- Three Islamic State (IS) militants were killed on Saturday in two airstrikes conducted by U.S.-led coalition aircraft in Iraq's northern province of Nineveh, Iraqi military said.

In coordination with Nineveh's Operations Command, U.S.-led coalition aircraft carried out two airstrikes on the IS positions in al-Baaj area near the border with Syria, the Joint Operations Command (JOC) said in statement.

According to the JOC statement, the two airstrikes resulted in the killing of three IS militants and the destruction of a hideout.

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.