KINSHASA, Congo –  A coalition of civil society groups in eastern Congo says at least 34 civilians were killed overnight by a rebel group, the latest in a series of attacks in the area.

 

The coalition from North Kivu province said Sunday that members of the Allied Defense Forces rebels attacked three villages around the town of Beni, more than 185 miles north of Goma, the provincial capital.

The groups said that more than 250 people have been killed in attacks around Beni in the past two months.

Eastern Congo is home to a myriad of armed groups and militias, many vying for control of the region’s vast mineral resources. A U.N. peacekeeping force in the area is authorized to battle the rebels groups.