One Malian soldier was killed in a gun attack Thursday while at least three others died in an explosion in separate incidents in the country's north, military sources told AFP.

"A Malian soldier was shot dead in an ambush Thursday morning on the outskirts of Timbuktu," said an army officer in the northwestern desert city.

At least three other troops died when their vehicle hit an explosive device near the city of Gao, army sources said.