At least 32 civilians have been killed in two armed attacks over the past 72 hours in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to civil society groups and local media.
The attacks targeted villages in the Mambasa territory of Ituri province, with local officials warning that the death toll remains preliminary as searches continue for other possible victims.
The renewed violence has triggered another wave of displacement, with residents fleeing affected villages and surrounding communities amid fears of further attacks.
At least 18 civilians were reportedly killed in one of the assaults, which was blamed on the Allied Democratic Forces, or ADF, an armed group active in eastern Congo.
Kambale Benzi Philémon, a local civil society leader, told French radio that the death toll could rise, adding that several victims had been beheaded with machetes.
He called on the Congolese government to deploy additional military reinforcements and improve protection for civilians.
Philémon also criticised the apparent lack of intervention by security forces stationed in the area, saying neither government troops nor the United Nations peacekeeping mission, MONUSCO, responded while the attack was taking place.