Gunmen attacked a United Nations (UN) base in central Mali on Monday, wounding a UN peacekeeper and a Malian soldier, local officials and soldiers said.

“The suspected terrorists fired on the UN mission at Douentza from a hill,” a local elected official told AFP.

Malian troops repulsed the attackers, who lost two of their own men in the raid, he added.

“The terrorists targeted the peacekeepers of MINUSMA (United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali),” said another local official.

A Malian military source, confirming the attack, said reinforcements had been sent to bolster security in the town, he added.

Last week, UN peacekeepers accused former rebel fighters and a rival pro-government militia in the north of the country of having used child soldiers in recent clashes.

On Friday, nine child soldiers aged 15 to 17 were handed over to UN peacekeepers in the northern city of Kidal.

In 2012, key cities in northern Mali fell under the control of militant groups linked to Al-Qaeda, who exploited an ethnic Tuareg-led rebel uprising.

Although the terrorists were largely ousted by a French-led military operation, attacks have continued on UN and French forces, civilians and the Malian army.

The armed groups accused of abuses by the UN operate in areas where Mali's army is absent or has a very limited presence. Allegations of collusion between the former rebels and militants continue to circulate.