Gunmen have stormed a tourist resort in Mali popular with Westerners and two people are dead, the country's security minister has said, according to BBC. 

"It is a jihadist attack. Malian special forces intervened and hostages have been released," Salif Traore told AFP news agency.

"Unfortunately for the moment there are two dead, including a Franco-Gabonese."

The attack happened at luxury resort Le Campement Kangaba, east of the capital Bamako.

The minister said four assailants had been killed by security forces.

"We have recovered the bodies of two attackers who were killed," said Mr Traore, adding that they were searching for the bodies of two others".

One of them left behind a machine gun and bottles filled with "explosive substances".