Photo: AA.
GOMA, Democratic Republic of Congo: Thirteen people were killed in an attack by Ugandan Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo late Saturday night, the DRC army confirmed.
The attack took place in Manzamapini, a village near Beni’s regional capital, Oïcha, also near the border with Uganda.
"Some victims were killed by knives and others by bullets," pastor and local leader Gilbert Kambale told Anadolu Agency, adding that all the victims were civilians.
"We are surprised that the attack took place in an environment secured by the regular army," he added.
According to Cpt. Mak Hazukay Mongba, spokesman for an anti-ADF army operation supported by the U.N. Organization Stabilization Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO), investigations are continuing to assess the damage from the attack.
The ADF is an armed Ugandan group, active since the late 1990s, set on overthrowing that nation's government.
According to local NGOs, more than 1,000 people have been killed in attacks in the Beni border region since October 2014, most with knives, while a recent report by Human Rights Watch puts the number at nearly 700.
