(Bloomberg) -- At least 20 civilians and five Democratic Republic of Congo soldiers were killed on Saturday night by members of the Allied Democratic Forces, a Ugandan rebel group, according to the Congolese army.
The attacks on villages in Beni, north east of the country, began around 6:30 p.m. local time and went on until past midnight, displacing many people, Congolese army spokesman in Ituri Province Jules Tshikudi said by phone on Sunday.
“About 25 civilians and soldiers were injured during the attack,” Tshikudi said. “The army is still carrying out operations against the rebels.”
The ADF, as the rebel group is known, was trying to establish a base outside Beni, the city's mayor, Nyonyi Masumbuko Bwanakawa, said Sunday by phone.
Congo, the world's largest source of cobalt, has for more than 20 years struggled to defeat local and foreign militias in the east, which has deposits of tin, gold and coltan. The ADF, a Ugandan Islamist armed group, has been active in Congo since 1993.
To contact the reporter on this story: Ignatius Ssuuna in Goma at issuuna@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Paul Richardson at pmrichardson@bloomberg.net, Eric Ombok, Helen Nyambura
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