Islamic State-linked attackers kill at least 11 people and torch vehicles in eastern Congo

KINSHASA, Congo (AP) — Extremist-linked rebels attacked villages in eastern Congo over the weekend, killing at least 11 people, torching vehicles and taking possessions, a local official said.

The attacks occurred Saturday and were reported by the local mayor on Sunday. Allied Democratic Forces rebels with ties to the Islamic State group have long operated in the border area near Uganda. The United Nations said earlier this month that almost 200 people have been killed there this year.

In one area, 11 bodies were recovered from four different places in the commune of Mulekera, according to the mayor, Ngongo Mayanga. Mulekera is near Beni town in North Kivu province.

Eastern Congo has been ravaged by conflict for decades as more than 120 armed groups fight for control of valuable mineral resources and some try to protect their communities. Mass killings by rebels are frequent. The violence has led over 7 million people to flee their homes, the U.N. has said.