The finance chief for the Islamic State militant group was killed in an airstrike in northern Iraq, Obama administration officials said in Washington yesterday.

Abu Saleh's death was announced via Twitter by Brett McGurk, who is the Obama administration's special envoy for the Global Coalition to counter Islamic State.

"Confirmed: Death of #ISIL finance minister Abu Saleh & 2 associates as part of coalition campaign to destroy ISIL's financial infrastructure," McGurk wrote.

US military spokesperson Steve Warren described Saleh as one of the Islamic State organisation's most experienced members, who had once belonged to terrorist network al-Qaeda.

Saleh allegedly acted for both organisations as an enforcer and extortionist, and as a coordinator of the movement of fighters, weapons and information on behalf of the Islamic State group.

- dpa