At least 77 civilians were killed by suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) terrorists in villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province last month, according to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) on Saturday.

In a report, OCHA said the killings took place in a series of deadly attacks in Mambasa territory.

The most affected areas were Biakato, Bandisende and the outskirts of Mambasa centre where civilians were killed with knives and bullets.

The terrorists are also said to have kidnapped several other people and burnt residential houses as they fled.

Persistent insecurity

Several areas of Mambasa territory face persistent insecurity, marked by attacks on civilians and population displacement, according to civil society groups and local media.

This week, at least 10 civilians were reported to have been killed in an attack attributed to ADF terrorists on several mining sites in the Babila-Babombi chiefdom, in Mambasa territory, local media said.

The attacks have led to worsening humanitarian needs in a province already severely affected by the Ebola epidemic.

The ADF is affiliated with the Daesh terrorist organisation and has been active in eastern DR Congo for several years.