Local officials said that 29 bodies had been retrieved, while another six burnt bodies had been found buried at the site.

Among the dead was a four-month-old baby, the officials added.

Gold-rich Ituri province has been plunged back into a cycle of violence since late 2017.

At least 1,200 civilians were killed by armed groups in the provinces of North Kivu and Ituri, according to the United Nations. (ILKHA)