Three members of the French special forces were injured this week in a landmine blast in northern Mali, the ministry of defence said on Thursday.

The incident happened on Tuesday, the ministry said, without giving details of the seriousness of their injuries.

"Three members of the special forces were injured this week," ministry spokesman Pierre Bayle said.

Army spokesman Colonel Gilles Jaron added: "They triggered a mine in the north of Mali."

Nine French soldiers have died in Mali where 1,300 French military personnel are deployed to fight jihadists.

In July 2014, a soldier was killed in a suicide attack and in August another died from "accidental fire" from one of his comrades in the main French camp in the town of Gao.

The troops in Mali are part of a 3,000-strong French force fighting jihadists in west Africa in what is called Operation Barkhane.

The jihadists still control large parts of Mali and while attacks were previously concentrated in the north, they have spread to the centre and south of the country this year.

Source: AFP