Patients burnt alive in fresh DR Congo clashes
The UN says 20 people have been killed and dozens more abducted in multiple attacks in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The dead include children and at least four patients who were burnt alive at a church clinic in North Kivu province.
The attack is blamed on fighters from the Islamic State-affiliated group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
It is known as the deadliest armed group operating in the country and has been designated as a terrorist outfit by the US.
Witnesses say intense fighting is still ongoing in the volatile North Kivu province where the Congolese army and UN peacekeepers are engaging fighters from the group.
The rebel attacks began last Thursday when the armed group attacked a local clinic in Lume town – where they killed several people including the four patients who were burnt alive in the health facility.
The UN mission in DR Congo says hundreds of houses in nearby villages have also been razed down.
Dozens of people including at least 30 children are reported missing and are believed to have been abducted by the group.
Peacekeepers have also exchanged fire with the fighters in Ituri province.
Mineral-rich DR Congo has witnessed a recent resurgence in conflict involving several armed groups including the M23 movement and the ADF.
Last month, the East African Community leaders agreed to send a regional force to help the Congolese government counter the violence in the east.
source: bbc
