A convoy carrying Malian soldiers and fighters from the Russian paramilitary Africa Corps came under attack in northern Mali on Thursday, three security sources said.

One of the sources said the convoy was ferrying more than 200 Russian fighters and more than 100 Malian soldiers. A similar attack hit another military convoy headed north earlier this week, the same person said.

An Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group and the Tuareg-led separatists, the Azawad Liberation Front (FLA), staged attacks on army positions across Mali on Saturday, July 4.

The convoy was heading towards the northern town of Anefis, where fighting has persisted since then, when it came under fire early on Thursday, the sources said.

Separatists claim responsibility

FLA claimed responsibility for the attack. A spokesperson for Mali's military did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Niger, a neighbour and ally to Mali, provided air support during the fighting, the three sources said. Niger's military could not be reached for comment.

The FLA and its Al Qaeda-affiliated allied group attacked Mali's airport in the capital Bamako and killed the country's defence minister.

The paramilitary Africa Corps is backing Mali's military in the fight against terrorism that has been a major challenge to the West African country since 2012.