Suicide car bomber wounds French troops in central Mali

Unknown number of soldiers and civilians wounded in attack in town of Gossi

A French soldier of the 126th Infantry Regiment watches the road in the military convoy between Gossi and Hombori ahead of the start of the French Barkhane Force operation in Mali's Gourma region. AFP, fileShow less

A suicide car bomber attacked a French reconnaissance mission in central Mali on Monday, wounding some of the soldiers and local residents, the French army said.

The French military did not say how many people were wounded in the attack in the town of Gossi, but the mayor said he heard there were several.

"The detonation was so loud it blew out the windows of some houses," said the Mayor, Moussa Ag Almouner. "We still hear shots, planes flying over the place."

No group claimed responsibility for the attack. Militant groups linked to Al Qaeda and ISIS operate in the area.

The attack comes as France winds down its 5,100-strong Barkhane military mission that has operated in West Africa's Sahel region for years but struggled to rid it of violent radical groups.

About 55 French soldiers have died in the region since Paris intervened in 2013 to drive back Al Qaeda-linked militants that had seized cities and towns in northern Mali a year earlier.

Mali is in the middle of a political crisis. Malian army Col Assimi Goita this month took power after overthrowing a second president in nine months.

The French army said on Monday residents and solders were taken to hospital for treatment and air support was sent to help ground troops in the area.