Seven troops were killed on Thursday in an ambush by suspected jihadists in Mali's violence-torn central region, the armed forces said.

A unit escorting a convoy of trucks laden with fertiliser struck a mine on a highway between Douentza and Sevare before being attacked by gunfire, it said.

"Seven (armed forces) members were killed," it said, adding that "terrorists" -- a term typically denoting jihadists -- were responsible.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility.

Northern Mali fell into the hands of jihadists in 2012 before the militants were forced out by a French-led military intervention.

But much of the region remains chronically unstable and jihadist-led violence has spread to the centre of the country, often sparking bloodshed between ethnic groups.

In addition to its own armed forces, the fragile country hosts France's mission in the Sahel, UN peacekeeping troops as well as contingents from a five-nation anti-jihadist group.

Neighbouring Burkina Faso and Niger have also been infiltrated by insurgents, at the cost of hundreds of lives.

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