Suspected terrorists attacked on Friday a UN military camp in the fabled city of Timbuktu in Mali’s restive north, wounding at least one peacekeeper.

Suspected terrorists attacked on Friday a UN military camp in the fabled city of Timbuktu in Mali's restive north, wounding at least one peacekeeper, security sources said.

Shots were still being heard in the area, a source in the UN peacekeeping force in Mali (MINUSMA) told AFP, indicating hours-long fighting.

"Six to seven terrorists arrived very early in the morning at a MINUSMA camp in Timbuktu. They blew up their vehicle before attacking the camp with mortars," the source said.

"One peacekeeper from Niger was wounded." the source said, adding that the camp had recently been evacuated by blue helmets from Niger but some soldiers had remained there.

A Malian military source said Malian troops were "fighting to neutralize the terrorists."

Northern Mali fell under the control of Tuareg rebels and terrorist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in 2012.

Large swathes of Mali remain lawless however despite a June peace deal between the former Tuareg rebels and rival pro-government armed groups.