At least 21 people have been killed in a terror attack in Mali, the West African country’s army said Monday evening.

The victims included four civilians and 17 Malian troops.

A further 22 people were injured in the attack on Sunday afternoon near the city of Tessit, which sits close to the border with Niger and Burkina Faso.

The Malian army also said it killed at least seven terrorists, and that the attackers took away more of their own wounded and dead.

Bamako blamed the attack on the terrorist organization Islamic State in the Greater Sahara (ISGS), saying that the attack was well-coordinated and equipped, and included the use of drones.

The ISGS is a major offshoot of Islamic State.

It is mainly blamed for attacks in the states of Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali.

Other armed groups are also active in the Sahel – an area that stretches south of the Sahara from the Atlantic to the Red Sea.

Mali, with a population of around 20 million, has experienced three military coups since 2012 and is considered extremely unstable.

Since the most recent coup in May 2021, the country has been led by an interim military government.

Western powers have been reassessing their commitments to the country amid hostility from the military rulers.

France and other European countries recently withdrew troops involved in counter-terrorism operations.

•PHOTO:This file photo shows Malian soldiers attending a training session at the Menaka military base. © Thomas Coex, AFP