The troops had been searching for army deserters on the plateaus of Uvira and Fiz, in South Kivu province, spokesman Captain Dieudonne Kasereka said.

The operation was launched Thursday after an attack by fighters of the Makanika Twigwaneho Ngumino/FNL coalition of armed groups who tried to seize a military position, he added.

The Hauts Plateaux region is the scene of a conflict between armed groups formed on a communal basis, notably Tutsi Congolese with distant Rwandan origins, the Banyamulenge, and other communities.

The coalition "Twigwaneho" (self-defence) and "Ngumino" (We Stay Here in Kinyamulenge) is composed of members of the Banyamulenge community.

These armed groups were joined by Colonel Michel Rukundo Makanika who deserted the army in early 2020 with a group of soldiers.

The FNL (National Forces of Liberation) is considered the main Burundi rebel group present in eastern DR Congo.