(Reuters) - The United States "strongly condemns" a militant attack on a bus in central Mali that killed at least 31 people and wounded 17, the State Department said on Sunday.

       Unidentified gunmen on Friday opened fire on the bus as it traveled from the village of Songho to a market in Bandiagara, 6 miles (10 km) away.

       The villages sit in the heart of the Mopti region, an epicenter of violence in Mali fueled by insurgents linked to al Qaeda and Islamic State.

       "The United States strongly condemns the attack on civilians on Saturday near Bandiagara, Mali, which left 31 dead and 17 injured," State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a written statement.

       "We extend our deepest condolences to the Malian people and will continue to partner with them in their pursuit of a safe, prosperous, and democratic future," Price said.

       Jihadist attacks have surged across Africa's Sahel region, killing thousands and displacing millions across Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger.

       (Reporting by Dan Whitcomb; Editing by Peter Cooney)