Democratic Republic of Congo's government on Monday said 272 civilians were killed in a massacre in the eastern town of Kishishe last week, raising the death toll from a previous estimate of 50.
Congo's government has blamed the massacre on the M23 rebel group, which has denied responsibility, reports Reuters.
The United Nations said last week it had received reports of a high number of civilian casualties that occurred during clashes between the M23 and local militias in Kishishe on Nov. 29 but did not give any figures.
Congo's army and the M23, a Tutsi-led militia, have been locked in fighting for months in the country's restive east.