Congolese army, UN peacekeepers launch operation against rebels blamed for series of attacks
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U.N. peacekeepers and the Congolese army have launched an operation against rebels in the country's east blamed for a series of attacks in recent months.
Lt. Col. Felix Prosper Basse told reporters Wednesday that the operation began Saturday in the region around the town of Beni. A series of rebel attacks in that region has killed more than 250 civilians in the last two months, according to a local civil society group.
The attacks have been blamed on the Allied Defense Forces rebels. Eastern Congo is home to a myriad of armed groups and militias, many vying for control of the region's vast mineral resources.
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The U.N. peacekeeping force is authorized to battle the rebels groups but has been criticized for doing too little to protect civilians.