Up to five United Nations (UN) peacekeepers have been killed and another was seriously injured in an attack in  Mali.

The peacekeeping soldiers who are believed to be from Togo were said to be travelling in the Mopti region when their vehicle came under fire from hostile forces before hitting a landmine.

The area is known as a stronghold for the Macina Liberation Front, a jihadist group with suspected al-Qaeda links which have terrorised the region.

The United Nations mission was set up in 2013 to stabilise Mali and bring peace following a rebellion by Islamist and Tuareg fighters which caused instability in the country.

Militant Islamist have been mounting sporadic assaults on peacekeepers in northern and central regions.

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