KIGALI, Rwanda 

At least 25 people were killed, including seven children, in an attack by militias in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province, a civil society leader said late Thursday.

The attack in Djugu territory took place on Wednesday, according to Germain Nz'aba.

Some of the victims were executed using firearms and edged weapons, he told reporters.

He attributed the attack to the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO) militia group.

Warning that the death toll could rise, Nz'aba said the militias simultaneously attacked three localities, killing and looting several animals belonging to residents.

In Mbaa village, four people were reported to have been killed, while seven were slain in Dhendro village, according to Nz'aba.

Local media reported that the victims were people who had just returned to their villages to resume activities from displacement camps.

Nz'aba appealed to the authorities to strengthen the protection of civilians and their property.

The latest attack ends a lull observed in several villages in the region for more than two months, he said.

The militia group had reportedly been active in the area since 2017.

Armed groups have been terrorizing civilians across eastern Congo.

The country has experienced one of the most protracted, complex conflicts with serious humanitarian crises on Earth, with roughly 7 million people displaced, according to the UN.