Updated

Burkina Faso's defense ministry says heavily armed assailants have attacked a military position in the north near the Mali border, killing three soldiers and wounding another.

The ministry says two attackers also died in the early Wednesday attack at Intangom. It said the casualty toll may rise, and more troops have been sent to secure the area.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

This West African country has seen a number of assaults since al-Qaida-linked extremists attacked in Ouagadougou in January, killing 30 people.

A June 1 attack by extremists on a police station in Intangom left three policemen dead.

On Sept. 1, a customs officer and a civilian were killed in Markoye in the north by attackers who claimed they were part of the Islamic State.