Air strikes hit IS houses in northern Iraq

Civilians are believed to have died after houses belonging to Islamic State militants were targeted in air raids in northern Iraqi city of Mosul.

a fly-past by two RAF Tornado GR4 jets, as Royal Air Force commander, Air Commodore Martin Sampson, said that British jets stand ready to launch strikes against Islamic State (IS) in Syria. Photo credit should read: David Jones/PA Wire Source: AAP

About 20 people, including at least 12 civilians, died in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, in two air strikes that destroyed houses believed to be used by Islamic State militants, six eyewitnesses and a medical source say.

The two strikes took place within 10-minutes of each other at about 3pm (local time) on Monday and targeted the houses of a local Islamic State commander and his son in the July 17 district of western Mosul, say the witnesses.

Government officials were not immediately available for comment.

Islamic State captured Mosul, Iraq's second-largest city, in 2014.

The United States and its allies have been carrying out air strikes against Islamist militants in Iraq since August 2014.