Three Malian soldiers killed in landmine explosion

Three soldiers were killed after their patrol vehicle hit a landmine in a forest in central Mali. 

Reports say soldiers were informed by villagers of the presence of armed men near a village and the soldiers were going over to investigate when the blast occurred. 

Defence Minister Tieman Hubert Coulibaly has expressed concern over the incident. 

Meanwhile, Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist militant group al-Mourabitoun has claimed responsibility for a hotel siege in central Mali over the weekend in which 17 people died. 

NEWS24