At least seven people, including four children, died in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), after armed men attacked a fuel truck, local sources told AFP on Thursday.
The truck "was set on fire by unidentified armed men" near the town of Katwiguru in North Kivu province on Wednesday, Jerome Nyamuhanzi, the leader of a group of villages in Rutshuru territory where the attack took place, told AFP.
After the attack, "a bomb that was lying around (the area) was picked up by the children, who thought it was a toy and the device exploded," said Nyamuhanzi, adding that "four children died on the spot".
Two hospital sources told AFP that six people were also injured in the attack, saying it killed at least seven people overall, including the four children.
M23 threat
The sources did not want to be named for security reasons.
It is not clear who is responsible for the attack, in a region that has been plagued by violence for years.
The M23 group has seized large swathes of territory in the DRC's North Kivu province since it launched an offensive at the end of 2021.
Elements affiliated with the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) are also present in the area and carry out ambushes against the M23.
Attack on M23 position
The FDLR was formed by former senior Hutu leaders of the 1994 genocide of the Tutsi in Rwanda, who have since taken refuge in the DRC.
Local sources also told AFP that three militiamen died on Tuesday during an attack on an M23 position a few kilometres from the truck attack.
➤ Click here to follow our WhatsApp channel for more stories.
