Mali's leader on Tuesday insisted the situation in his country was "under control" as he made his first public address since the terrorist attacks over the weekend.

Terrorists and Tuareg-led separatists are still positioned in the Sahelian country's north, three days after launching a wave of attacks, in what President Assimi Goita acknowledged was a situation "of extreme gravity".

Goita had made no public appearance or statement for three days, but on Tuesday evening he made a speech to the nation on state TV.

"As I am speaking to you, security arrangements have been reinforced. The situation is under control and clearing operations, search efforts, intelligence gathering and security measures are continuing," he said.

He urged the population to "stand up against division and national fracture", saying the West African country needed "clarity, not panic".

Earlier on Tuesday, his office released photos of him meeting wounded soldiers and civilians, as well as the ambassador of key ally Russia.

The photos were the first of Goita since the dawn offensive on Saturday, including in areas around Bamako.

At least 23 people were killed in two days of fierce fighting, a hospital source told AFP on Tuesday. Defence Minister Sadio Camara was among those killed.

The clashes pitted the army against Tuareg-led separatists and their allies from the JNIM terrorist organisation.

At his meeting with Goita, Russian ambassador Igor Gromyko "reaffirmed his country's commitment to stand with Mali in the fight against terrorism", according to the Malian leader's office.

The weekend attacks recall a crisis that rocked Mali in 2012, when Tuareg-led separatists joined forces with terrorists to capture strategic hubs in the north.