Jihadist group Ansar Dine has claimed responsibility for an attack on a UN base in Mali which left two peacekeepers and a civilian contractor dead.

AFP says it has spoken with a senior member of the group who claimed the attack was "in response to the violation of our lands by the enemies of Islam. "

A further 14 people were injured in the armed dawn assault which took place in the northern town of Kidal.

Up to five rockets landed inside the base.

An official with the UN peacekeeping mission in Mali (MINUSMA) said: "Our camp in Kidal was attacked early this morning by terrorists using rockets."

The two soldiers who died were from Guinea.

Violence has continued in northern Mali despite Islamist militants - some with links to al Qaeda - being driven out by a French-led military operation.

The attack comes just over a week after the attack on a luxury hotel in the capital Bamako.

At least two armed men stormed the luxury Radisson Blu hotel on 20 November, killing six Russians, three Chinese nationals, an American and several others.

The attack was the worst strike by Islamist extremists in Mali for years.

Malian commandos retook the hotel and freed 170 hostages following a siege lasting several hours. The two attackers were killed.

Two people were arrested this week in connection with the raid.

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, a splinter group al Mourabitoun and the Massina Liberation Front have all claimed responsibility for the attack. Security experts have said they could be collaborating.

The US embassy in Bamako has warned of possible "further terrorist activity" in the city.

It has advised its citizens to avoid bars, restaurants and shopping centres in the wake of the attack.