TEHRAN, Jun 07 (MNA) – A senior commander of the Iraqi Popular Units (PMU) said that through PMU intel operations, a large number of ISIL terrorists were killed in Diyala, Salahuddin and Kirkuk.

One of the PMU (Hashd al-Shaabi) commanders Mohammad Al-Tamimi told the Arabic-language Al-Maloumeh news website that "The killing of half of the ISIL elements in airstrikes in those three Iraqi provinces were the result of Hashd al-Shaabi's intelligence efforts."

He added that the PMU intelligence organization is very active in the provinces of Diyala, Salahuddin(Salah al-Din), and Kirkuk, and has achieved important results through monitoring and reconnaissance missions on the ISIL sleeper cells.

Al-Tamimi said that the PMU intelligence forces act in great cooperation and coordination with the other Iraqi intelligence and security forces.

"In order to carry out operations against ISIL elements in remote and mountainous areas, the cooperation and intervention of the Iraqi air force was needed," the senior PMU commander added.

"In the first quarter of this year, more than 50 terrorists, 9 of whom were commanders of at the terror group, were killed in Diyala, Salah al-Din and Kirkuk provinces, of whom 22  were killed in Diyala province only.

Also in a relevant development, the PMU said in a statement on Wednesday announced the killing of the so-called "ISIL Governor or Vali of Baghdad" and four of his companions in the north of the Iraqi capital by their forces.

MNA/IRN85133198