JOHANNESBURG

Two workers of a UK-based international aid organization were killed in an attack in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), Tearfund said.

The aid group said in a statement issued late Monday that its workers were attacked and killed in Butembo city in North Kivu province on Sunday, which has seen an upsurge in clashes between Congolese armed forces and rebel groups.

Dozens of armed groups operate in eastern DR Congo, including the M23 rebels, who have seized several towns in recent weeks.

The group responsible for the attack on Tearfund workers has yet to be identified, the statement said.

The aid organization has condemned the heinous attack on its employees.

“I am utterly devastated by the recent deaths of two of our aid workers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Our staff work selflessly to serve communities living in poverty. This news comes as a huge shock to all of us at Tearfund,” said CEO Nigel Harris in the same statement.