Congo rebel group kills at least 7 in eastern village

BENI, Congo – A Congo military official and a local leader say a rebel group has attacked a village in the country’s east, killing at least 7 people.

Mak Hazukay, military spokesman for Congo’s anti-rebel operation in the east, said Thursday that the attacks occurred overnight Wednesday in the Kasinga-Munzambayi locality about 5 kilometres (3 miles) from Beni in Congo’s northeast.

A local municipality head, Bakwanamaha Modeste, said Allied Democratic Forces rebels also set fire to several homes. He said families from the village are in the streets of Beni, having fled for safety.

The ADF rebels, with origins in Uganda, have been accused of killing more than 700 people since October 2014. They are among scores of armed groups present in eastern Congo for decades.