The deadly clash erupted in the morning when IS militants attacked an army outpost in Mteibijah, a rugged area in the eastern part of the province, Mohammed al-Bazi told Xinhua.

A reinforcement force was dispatched to the area for security as the extremist militants withdrew to their hideouts in Mteibijah, al-Bazi said.

Iraqi security forces have repeatedly tried to retake control of Mteibijah, but the vast rugged land and mountains have made it difficult for them to dislodge the extremist militants from the region.

The security situation in Iraq has improved since Iraqi security forces fully defeated the extremist IS militants across the country late in 2017.

However, IS remnants have since melted in urban areas or resorted to deserts and rugged areas, carrying out frequent guerilla attacks against security forces and civilians. Enditem1 soldier, 2 IS militants killed in clash in central Iraq.