Armed men on motorcycles have attacked a Malian army camp and killed an unknown number of people near Mali's border with Mauritania.

Army spokesman Diarran Kone said the complex attack took place Sunday morning in the village of Guire. Kone says the military is still working to determine the death toll.

Guire resident Souleymane Maiga told The Associated Press at least a dozen people had been killed. It wasn't clear how many of the victims were soldiers.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, though suspicion immediately fell on al-Qaida-linked groups known to be operating in the area.

A similar attack last month left 20 Malian soldiers dead. A coalition of extremist groups linked to al-Qaida eventually said it was behind the attack.