The African Union Commission chairperson Moussa Faki Mahamat has condemned the recent attacks in Mali that left at least 25 Malian soldiers dead.

Armed militants on Monday stormed two army outposts in the towns of Boulkessy and Mondoro near the border with Burkina Faso, also wounding scores of soldiers.

"African Union Commission President Moussa Faki Mahamat strongly condemns the terrorist attacks on the Malian Armed Forces and one of their Force Battalion on 30 September and 1 October 2019 G5 Sahel in the Boulkassi and Mondoro regions," a Wednesday statement from the SUC said.

"The President of the Commission offers his deepest condolences to the families of the fallen soldiers and wishes a speedy recovery to the wounded.”

Malian forces said they had launched a joint operation with Burkina Faso and French forces to hunt the militants.

The two attacks are considered among the deadliest against government troops this year.

"The President of the Commission stresses that these attacks are a reminder of the urgent need for strong and effective support from the international community for the efforts of the countries of the region to fight terrorism,” the statement from AUC continued.

Mali has been dogged by jihadist violence and ethnic rivalries since 2012 when Islamist militants took over the north of the country.

Mahamat said the fight against militancy in the Sahel region will continue with the full support of the African Union.

(With input from AU and BBC)