Islamic militants have killed 18 people in the northeastern province of Nord Kivu. The latest incident in an area where the army and UN forces are battling several armed groups.

Local authorities say the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) were responsible for the attack on the village of Bayati in the Mamov area of ​​Beni.

The victims, most of whom became homeless, died of gunshot wounds and stab wounds. At 19:00 local time on Wednesday, the attackers set fire to several houses, churches and businesses.

Kinos Katuho, head of a civil society group in Mamo, said locals had seen the attackers earlier.

“In the afternoon, the residents saw the enemy [attackers], we went to inform the Bayarti-based FARDC [Army] units, but they could not prevent the attack and could not save the people,” the original website stated.

Katuho said the ADF had killed 42 people in Mamo since October 3.The ADF attributed several attacks to Uganda over the past few years in eastern DR Congo. Several other armed groups operate in the area.Last year, the Islamic State group (IS) claimed responsibility for several attacks on the LDF.