15 civilians killed by suspected rebel fighters in Eastern DRC

At least 15 people were killed by suspected rebel fighters in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Al Jazeera quoted local officials as saying on Saturday, that suspected rebel fighters killed at least 15 people overnight in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The attacks took place in and around the village of Mbau.

Last month, the DRC's Army initiated its latest campaign with support from UN peacekeepers on October 30 to root out fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) from the dense forests near the Ugandan border.

The ADF fighters have retaliated by killing civilians. According to local civil society activists, more than 40 people have been killed since last week.

Donat Kibwana, the regional administrator in the nearby city of Beni, said, "The rebels are attacking civilians in order to spread confusion and panic among the population."

While some of the attacks by ADF had been claimed by ISIL in the past, the group itself is not known to have publicly pledged loyalty to ISIL.