Baghdad: Residents of the Iraqi city of Mosul said up to 30 civilians were killed in an air strike on a district held by Islamic State this week.

The witnesses said it was not immediately clear if the attack was carried out by the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State, or by Iraqi forces that have been making advances against the jihadists in the city.

Iraqi special forces advance inside Mosul University during fighting against Islamic State militants. Credit:Khalid Mohammed

They said they saw at least three missiles hit the western Mosul al-Jadida area on Thursday, in a raid that appeared to target the house of senior militant Harbi Abdel Qader.

He was not in the building at the time, but several members of his family died, one resident said late on Friday.