27 civilians killed in suspected ADF attack in Dem. Rep. of Congo

At least 27 civilians were killed in the latest attack attributed to Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) fighters in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, local sources said Saturday.

The attack took place overnight Friday in the n Mamove locality, Beni territory, on the boundary between North Kivu and Ituri provinces, according to Kinos Katuho, head of the Mamove civil society group.

"The victims were killed with machetes in the latest attack. Some victims were killed in their homes while others in their fields," Katuho told reporters. "Several people are missing and a dozen houses were burned. Many people are displaced, fleeing in different directions for safety."

Ten bodies were taken to the morgue of the general hospital of Oicha while others were yet to be recovered from the site.

Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo forces are carrying out military operations to flush out the ADF, who have been attacking and killing civilians for more than two decades.

Last month, Ugandan troops arrived in Ituri as part of joint operations with the Congolese army (FARDC).

But reports indicate that despite the joint operations announced in Beni, the Mamove area is yet to witness large-scale military operations.