M23 rebels killed at least 140 people in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo last month in one of the worst atrocities by the armed group since its resurgence in late 2021, Human Rights Watch has said in a report, BBC reported.

This is despite a peace process, brokered by the US and Qatar, to end the conflict in the region.

Witnesses told the advocacy group that the Rwanda-backed rebels "summarily executed" local residents, including women and children, largely from the ethnic Hutu group in the Rutshuru area, near the Virunga National Park, according to BBC.

The rebels have previously strongly denied any role in these killings, calling the charges a "blatant misrepresentation of the facts".