A MILITARY training camp on the outskirts of the Malian capital Bamako came under attack by extremists early today.

Gunmen attempted to infiltrate the Faladie gendarme school and a sweep operation is under way, said a statement by the military. It said the situation was under control but asked people to avoid the area.

Mali, along with its neighbours Burkina Faso and Niger, has for over a decade battled an insurgency by armed groups, including some allied with international jihadist organisations al-Qaida and Islamic State.