Iran Press/Africa: Wednesday's "cowardly terrorist attack" took place between the northern city of Timbuktu and Mopti in the centre, a statement said, adding that the soldiers were on an escort mission.
According to News24,"Two escort vehicles of the Malian army hit improvised explosive devices between Bambara-Maoude and Douentza," it said.
A total of 120 French soldiers meanwhile landed on Thursday by parachute in the north-eastern region of Menaka, a particularly volatile region near the border with Niger, to boost counter-insurgency operations, French military spokesperson Colonel Patrik Steiger said.
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"We are combining our capacities to create a surprise effect for the armed terrorist groups and to show to locals that we are capable of arriving quickly," he said.
Mali has been in turmoil since Tuareg rebels and loosely-allied militants took over the northern desert regions from the Malian military control in 2012. The ensuing power vacuum allowed extremists linked to al-Qaeda to dominate the territory.
French forces intervened in 2013 to allegedly fight back the militants, but extremist forces have since regrouped and now regularly attack Malian and international forces.
France has kept about 4,500 troops in the region as part of the operations. French officials acknowledge that Paris is likely to remain in the area for the next decade.
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