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BENI: Ugandan troops crossed into the Democratic Republic of Congo as part of a joint operation against a notorious militia that both countries accuse of massacring civilians.

The two countries announced that the operation began with morning artillery and air strikes against the ADF armed group, which has risen to become the deadliest of many militias plaguing DR Congo’s east.

Then large numbers of Ugandan soldiers entered DR Congo at the Nobili border post in North Kivu state, a UN source and an aid worker told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“It’s a column of very well-armed troops on foot, followed by armoured vehicles,” the aid worker said.

Video shared on social media also showed advancing soldiers whose uniforms bore the Ugandan flag.

“As announced, targeted and concerted action with the Ugandan army started today with air strikes and artillery fire from Uganda against positions of the terrorist ADF in the DRC,” Congolese government spokesman and Communications Minister Patrick Muyaya wrote on Twitter.

Ugandan army spokeswoman Flavia Byekwaso said in a statement that “targets were accurately hit” earlier Tuesday.

DR Congo army spokesman Leon-Richard Kasonga said in a statement that “for the time being, Congolese special forces supported by Ugandan special units will carry out search and control operations to clear and secure ADF positions affected by this morning’s strikes.”

Government spokesman Muyaya added that “it was agreed after evaluation to continue in-depth operations by the special forces of two countries”.

Eyewitnesses had earlier reported explosions and artillery fire in North Kivu’s Watalinga district, as well as the Boga and Tchabi districts, known hideouts of the ADF in neighbouring Ituri province.

The strikes came two days after a senior Congolese source reported that President Felix Tshisekedi had given Uganda permission to pursue the ADF on DR Congo soil.

The move is not universally supported in the DRC, where many critics recall the role of Uganda and Rwanda in the decades-long instability in the east of the country.

The ADF, linked by the United States to the Islamic State group, is deeply feared in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.