The attack was carried out on Friday in Ménaka, near the Niger border.
According to the army, at least 53 soldiers and one civilian were killed. The attack is thus one of the deadliest of its kind in the area, where militant Islamist groups such as IS and Al Qaeda have carried out attacks for ten years. From bases in Mali, they have also undermined stability in neighboring Niger and Burkina Faso, writes Reuters news agency.
As of September 30, 38 soldiers were killed in coordinated attacks against two army bases in central Mali.
Who is behind the latest attack is unclear, but it is a setback for "G5 Sahel", an initiative where five countries in the region cooperate against jihadists.