The victims were passengers aboard four vehicles heading to Mungwalu, in Ituri province, UN-sponsored Radio Okapi reported.

They were taken hostage after three Codeco members were killed in a clash with a rival militia, the radio added.

Among those taken hostage was a pregnant woman, AFP news agency reported.

Local authorities are yet to comment on the attack.

The Codeco, a militia that claims to protect the Lendu farming community in Ituri, is one of myriad armed groups operating in the restive, mineral-rich region.