BAGHDAD
Thirty-six militants from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), including three from other Arab countries, were killed in the northern Iraqi province of Diyala, a security source from the province said Monday.
He added that police had also destroyed scores of homes in the pre-dominantly Sunni province.
The security source, however, did not mention human or material losses sustained by Iraqi security forces during a day of operations in Baqubah, the provincial capital.
On Sunday, the Diyala police apparatus declared its ability to recapture Buhriz town, parts of which were captured on Saturday by ISIL militants who, police say, are currently hiding out in the town's mosques.
Diyala remains the scene of ongoing operations by government forces, having been an epicenter of sectarian strife from 2006 to 2008, when thousands of local residents were killed and displaced.
By Mahmoud al-Jabouri
englishnews@aa.com.tr
