No fewer than six French soldiers were injured during an operation against Islamist militants in Mali, reports said on Saturday.
The militants struck on Friday morning in the central region around Gourma, apparently driving a vehicle up to a military convoy before setting off an explosive.
The injured soldiers were taken to a military hospital in Gao, and three of them were flown to France for further treatment, it was reported that none of the soldiers were in life-threatening condition.
It was the third serious attack on French soldiers since the end of December, when five French soldiers were killed in a week.
As Mali’s former colonial power, France has deployed thousands of soldiers against Islamists in West Africa, including some 5,100 troops active as part of anti-terrorism operation “Barkhane”.