At least 19 people were killed in an overnight attack in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), local sources said on Sunday, Trend reports citing Xinhua.

The attack, which took place in the village of Kirindera in the territory of Beni of the eastern province of North Kivu, killed at least 19 civilians, Carly Nzanzu Kasivita, former governor of North Kivu, told journalists on Sunday morning, attributing the attack to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels.

Several buildings in the village, including a health center, were set on fire by the rebels, he said.

The attack came two days after another attack blamed on the ADF rebels on Thursday in two villages of the Beni territory, where at least 44 people were killed.

The ADF was founded in the 1990s by several opposition movements in Uganda. Defeated by the Ugandan army, these rebels remained active in eastern DRC, which led to joint operations between the DRC and Uganda to hunt down the ADF rebels, who are now also an affiliate of the Islamic State in central Africa.

For decades, the ADF rebels active in the territory of Beni have been multiplying attacks against civilians.

Source: Trend News Agency