21 killed in Iraq clashes

At least 21 people were killed and 38 wounded on Saturday in clashes with Islamic State militants in Iraq's provinces of Salahudin and Anbar, security sources said.

In the northern central province of Salahudin, security forces and allied paramilitary units, known as Hashd Shaabi, repelled an attack by dozens of IS militants on the positions of the troops at a village near the city of Samarra, a provincial security source told Xinhua on condition of anonymity.

The troops killed at least seven IS militants and wounded 20 others, while two security members were killed and six wounded, the source said.

In the western province of Anbar, security forces fought with IS militants in the Madhieg area in the east of the IS-held city of Ramadi, killing four IS militants, the source said without giving further details.

Meanwhile, an Iraqi air strike hit a 200-meter long tunnel built by the militants to move their car bombs and suicide bombers in Jerieshi area, just north of Ramadi, killing three IS terrorists and destroying a car bomb inside, the source said.

Also in the province, five soldiers were killed and 12 wounded when several roadside bombs detonated near their vehicles in Albu Haiyat area, east of the city of Haditha, the source added.

The military operations to free Ramadi and other parts of Anbar from IS terrorists have been suspended due to heavy rain during the past 10 days, at the time the troops were making progress on the edges of militant-seized Ramadi.

The attacks in Anbar came as Iraqi security forces and allied militias have been fighting for months to retake control of key cities and towns in Iraq's largest province from the IS militants, who seized most of Anbar and tried to advance towards Baghdad.