TUNIS
At least 34 civilians were killed in an attack allegedly perpetrated by a Ugandan rebel group active in the Democratic Republic of Congo, a civil society activist said Sunday.
The attack had taken place in the northeastern city of Beni, which is located in the North Kivu province, Omar Kavota, a spokesman for the civil society of North Kivu, added.
The rebel group said to be responsible for the attack is known as the Allied Democratic Forces - National Army for the Liberation of Uganda (ADF-NALU), the spokesman said.
Kavota, also the vice-president of the civil society of North Kivu, added that death toll from the attack could rise in the next hours as rescue workers were still trying to find whether there were more victims.
He said the attack took place late on Saturday in two separate towns located 40 kilometers away from Beni.
"The terrorists sneaked into a house belonging to a leader of one of the villages and set it on fire, leaving him, his wife and children to burn alive," Kavota said, without mentioning the number of the attackers.
The latest massacre brings to 250 the death toll in Beni in the past two months, which scares many of its residents away.
Kavota said the ADF-NALU sought to "destabilize the region to increase insecurity among its residents and push for a rebellion against Kinshasa and the United Nations force in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The ADF-NALU is known for its relationship with Somalia's Al-Shabaab militant group, which has been fighting for control with the government of Mogadishu for several years now.
Formed in the 1990s to fight against the regime of Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, the ADF-NALU – which includes Congolese elements – adopts a radical interpretation of the Islamic religion.
It was classified as a terrorist organization by the United Nations Security Council on June 30 of this year.
englishnews@aa.com.tr
www.aa.com.tr/en
