Authorities said on Tuesday that five people were killed in an attack by unknown gunmen in south-east Mali, about 80 kilometers (50 miles) from the nation's capital Bamako.

The victims comprised three civilians and two firefighters who were members of a civil defence force.

Military ceremonies and burials for the two service members are due for Wednesday, the AFP news agency reports.

Monday's attack is said to have happened in a part of the country where violence is rare while a jihadist insurgency rages in the central and northern regions.

Source: BBC