BAGHDAD, April 12 (Xinhua) -- Iraqi security forces on Friday killed three Islamic State (IS) militants and arrested two others in separate operations in Iraq's western province of Anbar, a security source said.

The provincial police commandos backed by the Iraqi army's gunships conducted an airdrop operation on an IS hideout in a desert area in the western part of Anbar province, killing three IS suicide bombers, the provincial police chief Hadi Erzeij told Xinhua.

During the operation, the troops seized different weapons, motorcycles and a truck at the scene, Erzeij said.

Also in the province, the troops conducted another airdrop operation on an IS hideout and arrested two IS militants in the desert of Anbar.

IS militants are still active in the vast Anbar desert which stretches to the border with neighboring countries of Syria, Jordan and Saudi Arabia, as many civilians have been kidnapped or killed by the extremist group recently.

The security situation in Iraq has been dramatically improved after Iraqi security forces declared full defeat of the IS across the country late in 2017.

However, IS remnants have since melted or regrouped in cities or fled to desert and rugged areas, carrying out attacks against the security forces and civilians despite operations from time to time to hunt them down.