Two United Nations peacekeepers were killed and five seriously injured after an armored vehicle they were travelling in hit a mine in northern Mali, the UN peacekeeping mission said.

The attack happened between Tessalit and Gao city.

Mali has been dogged by insecurity since Islamist insurgents who took root in its arid north a decade ago.

In a statement on the latest incident, United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) condemned the attack which it said may constitute a war crime under international law.

It also acknowledged the frequent use, by terrorist groups and elements, of improvised explosive devices intended to paralyze the operations of the Mission and to obstruct the return to peace and stability.