BAMAKO, MALI —
Mali's defense ministry says three soldiers have been killed after their vehicle hit an improvised explosive device in Mali's central Mopti region.
The defense ministry statement said two soldiers were also wounded Tuesday in the explosion in Mondoro, which is near the border with Burkina Faso.
No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Mopti region is known to be a stronghold for the Macina Liberation Front, an Islamic extremist group active in central Mali that claimed responsibility for several attacks on the army last year.
The Macina Liberation Front first appeared in January 2015 and is said to have ties to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb. Many of its members are part of the Peul ethnic group.
