In the first incident on Friday, unidentified militants attacked a food convoy in the northern region, killing two soldiers guarding the shipment while it was carrying relief aid and food stuff for people displaced by violence in the country.

In addition to those killed during the incident, three more soldiers were wounded and three of the assailants were taken into custody, according to military sources cited in press reports.

“While vigorously fighting back, the FAMA (Malian armed forces) killed four terrorists and wounded three,” said a statement issued by the Malian Defense Ministry.

The deadly assaults came nearly 70 kilometers (about 44 miles) from the desert caravan city of Timbuktu, the same area where a Swiss national was kidnapped a week ago.

Meanwhile, in yet another attack late Friday night, armed militants attacked a market further south in the village of Dioura in the central region of Mopti, according to the defense ministry statement.

“Armed men entered the area shooting everywhere,” said Malian Defense Ministry spokesman Diarran Kone, who added that at least one person had been killed in the attack.

A local police officer said the individual was a guard from the country’s Water and Forests Agency.

On January 8, terrorists affiliated with Takfiri al-Qaeda militants in the desert north of the country kidnapped a Swiss citizen from a house in Timbuktu.

The militants also carried out a major attack on a luxury hotel in the capital, Bamako, on November 20, 2015, killing 20 people, Press TV reported.

S/SH