Five aid workers kidnapped in northern Mali last February have been rescued during a raid near the town of Timbuktu and are reported to be in good health.

The development was announced in a joint statement issued Thursday by Malian and French presidents.

Four of those captured worked for the Red Cross. At the time it was reported that they were kidnapped by the Mujao militant group.

Mujao was among the militant groups ousted from northern towns in 2013.

France forces led the military intervention in Mali, but attacks by al-Qaeda-linked insurgents have continued in the country’s vast northern region.

The five aid workers went missing while travelling in a 4x4 vehicle from Kidal to Gao on February 8.

The joint statement released on Thursday said they had been seized by a "terrorist group" but did not give any further details.

Militants controlled the town of Gao between April 2012 and January 2013.

The two presidents vowed to continue fighting "terrorism, organized crime and drug trafficking" in the Sahel region of Africa, the report said.