Algeria has condemned the demolition by extremist groups of three historic mausoleums listed as World Heritage, in the city of Timbuktu in northern Mali, the APS news agency reported Monday.

"Algeria condemns the destruction of mausoleums in northern Mali, mostly as they are not only part of the Islamic cultural heritage belonging to the memory and the collective consciousness of Mali, but also as a common heritage shared by both Algeria and Mali, whose peoples have always maintained secular relations built upon mutually enriching cultural and religious exchanges," Amar Belani, spokesman for the Algerian Foreign Ministry, said Sunday in a written statement, according to the APS.

"Algeria considers that these mausoleums are tribute by local populations to saints and scholars, who have contributed to the development of Islam in the region, and spread values of tolerance and spirituality," Belani said.

Algeria "urges all actors in Mali to preserve this diversity and heritage, listed as World Heritage of Humanity, for the benefit of future generations and the perpetuation of symbols that marked the history of both Mali and the region," he added.

Extremists militants belonging to Ansar Dine armed group, present in northern Mali, demolished Saturday mausoleums of Muslim saints in Timbuktu, in retaliation for Thursday's decision of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) to classify Timbuktu as a World Heritage in danger.