PARIS (AP) — Two French soldiers died in Mali when their armored vehicle was hit by an improvised explosive device.

The office of French President Emmanuel Macron said a soldier and an officer were killed Wednesday morning in the attack. They were part of an operation to fight "terrorism" in the West African country.

No further details, including the location in Mali of the deadly incident, were available.

France's 4,000-strong counterterrorism force in Mali, part of Operation Barkhane, is meant to fight extremist groups in the African region of the Sahel, which also includes Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Niger.

Macron praised the "courage" of the French soldiers and their determination to continue their mission, "which allows to strike blows against the enemy."