At least 14 people were killed in an attack by militias on a camp for displaced people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province, local media said.

The attack in Djugu territory occurred on Thursday where displaced people from the Rhoo site were heading to their gardens in surrounding villages, according to the report.

UN Radio, citing witnesses, said the victims were mainly farmers and attributed the attack to the Cooperative for the Development of Congo (CODECO) militia group.

“Witnesses reported that the militiamen ambushed, opened fire and mutilated some victims with knives. The toll remains provisional due to the difficulty of accessing the area,” the report said.

Panic in camp

There was no official communication yet on the incident.

Following the attack, widespread panic engulfed the Rhoo site, which hosts thousands of displaced people, the report said.

Local civil society leaders called for urgent intervention by the army to secure the area.

Congo has experienced one of the most protracted, complex conflicts with serious humanitarian crises on Earth, with 7 million people displaced in the country, according to the UN.

Armed groups often attack civilians across eastern Congo. The UN in July alone documented deadly attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) group, CODECO and Raia Mutomboki/Wazalendo militias in Ituri, South Kivu and North Kivu.