Officials said gunmen burst into a village in Cercle de Bankass, shot at people, burnt homes and then chased those trying to flee into nearby forests.

One official said as many as 19 bodies had been found and the search for more victims was continuing.

Last June an attack in the same area left more than 130 people dead.

The region sees frequent raids by jihadist groups linked to al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

Last year Mali's military government ordered French troops to leave and turned to Russia for support, hiring soldiers from the Wagner group. Though it denies this.