BAQUBA, Iraq, Feb. 20 (Xinhua) -- Five Islamic State (IS) militants were killed Tuesday in an airstrike in Iraq's eastern province of Diyala, a provincial security source said.

Acting on intelligence tips, the Iraqi aircraft bombarded IS hideouts near the lake of Himreen, some 75 km northeast of the provincial capital Baquba, destroying three hideouts and a vehicle, killing five militants, Ali al-Timimi from the Baquba police told Xinhua.

Despite repeated military operations in the 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 mountainous area in north of Baquba, some 65 km northeast of the capital Bagdad.

The militants are still capable of carrying out attacks against civilians and the security forces despite the military operations from time to time to hunt them down, Iraqi security sources said.