Dozens of Fulani civilians have been killed as suspected traditional hunters attacked a village in the lawless region of central Mali.

Armed Dozo hunters, linked to the Dogon ethnic group, were suspected of ambushing the isolated village of Koumaga in the Mopti region a day earlier.

 16 bodies had so far been found, while 10 civilians remain missing.

A statement by the government said “a violent clash” took place between communities in the Mopti region despite army patrols.

Central Mali, a vast area where the state is nearly absent, has seen a rise in violence over the past years between Fulani herders and Bambara and Dogon farmers, sparked by disputes over access to land and water.

Both hunters and farmers accuse the pastoralists of colluding with the al-Qaeda-linked terrorists also operating in the region since 2012.

The armed forces are facing increasing accusations of arbitrary arrests and extra-judicial killings in their fight against the militants.

The violence comes despite the presence of thousands of UN peacekeepers and French forces in the African country.