(AA):  At least 28 people, including two Malian soldiers, were killed and several others injured in two separate attacks in Central Mali on Thursday, according to Malian media Friday.

In the first incident, 26 people, including women and children were killed when a vehicle stepped over a landmine in the central part of the country.

The vehicle had left Burkina Faso and struck a landmine about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from Boni city in Mali.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack.

Separately, in Youwarou, also in Central Mali’s Mopti region, Malian armed forces killed seven terrorists, according to a statement from the military.

Two Malian soldiers were also killed in the operation, the statement added.

In 2012, a Tuareg rebellion opened the door for al-Qaeda-linked militants to take over the northern half of the country. They were mostly expelled by a French-led operation launched a year later but swathes of the country remain subject to regular attacks that have spread southwards.

In 2015, a peace deal was signed between the government and some insurgent groups.

Political and community disputes continue to fuel tensions in Mali, thus undermining the implementation of the peace agreement.

Faced with this security challenges the G5-Sahel force backed by France and the United States launched its anti-terror operation in 2017.

The G5 Sahel comprises of Burkina Faso, Mali, Mauritania, Niger, and Chad.

[Archive Photo:  Soldier in Bamako, Mali. AA]