Fighters from a group affiliated to the Al-Qaeda-linked Group for the Support of Islam and Muslims (GSIM) "carried out an attack using two kamikaze vehicles and shellfire" on an army post early on Sunday, the army said in a statement published overnight.

It said it had repelled the attack in the western village of Mourdiah, about 200 kilometres (120 miles) north of the capital Bamako, "inflicting heavy losses of life and property on the terrorists".

The army said that "a large number of terrorists were neutralised (and) dozens wounded," adding that five of its own soldiers were killed and dozens also wounded.

Several Malian soldiers were killed in February in a major attack blamed on jihadists in the same area.

The Malian army rarely reports its losses. Pressure from armed groups and the ruling military has silenced most independent sources of information in its areas of operation.

Since 2012, Mali has been ravaged by different groups affiliated to Al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, as well as by self-declared self-defence forces and bandits.

Since seizing power in a 2020 coup, the military has broken off its anti-jihadist alliance with France and European partners, while turning politically and militarily towards Russia.

Both jihadists and government forces have been accused of committing serious abuses against civilians, which are often difficult to verify.