emirates7 - Six people were killed in Mali, including two gendarmes and a police officer, in a rare attack near its capital Bamako, Mali's Ministry of Security said Friday.

On Thursday night, about 70 kilometres from the capital, an attack took place "at the checkpoint of Zantiguila, on the road to the central city of Segou", the security ministry said.

The attack was carried out "by as yet unidentified armed individuals", leaving three civilians and three law enforcement officers dead, and wounding two others, it said.