More than 70 bodies were found in a church in Maiba settlement of North Kivu province in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). This was reported by the Congolese radio station Okapi, TASS reports.

These are the persons kidnapped by militants three days ago in Lubero district. Victims include women, children and elderly people. The militants tied up the people and beheaded them.

Authorities believe that militants fr om the extremist group Alliance of Democratic Forces (ADF) are behind the killings. It was established in Uganda in 1995. In 2003, the ADF retreated under attacks by the Ugandan armed forces and took refuge in the eastern DRC, wh ere it regularly attacks military and civilian targets.