UN peacekeepers killed about 18 militiamen during a raid in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) early Saturday, one day after the April 1 deadline expired for all militias to surrender their weapons voluntarily, a UN official said.

About 700 peacekeepers backed by a military helicopter exchanged fire with several hundred militiamen as the peacekeepers attempted to dismantle a camp in the DRC's eastern region of Ituri, UN spokesman Kemal Saiki said.

The peacekeepers were forced to return fire after they were fired upon by the militiamen, who tried to prevent the peacekeepers from approaching the camp, according to the spokesman.

"There are 18 fatalities on their side, but that figure still needs to be confirmed," said Saiki.

About 8,300 of an estimated 15,000 fighters in Ituri district have surrendered their firearms, the United Nations said.

Those attacked on Saturday belong to the ethnic Lendu militia Patriotic Force of Resistance in Ituri, who had been contacted twice by the peacekeepers asking them to disarm, said Saiki.

The peacekeepers were threatened on the second visit, he said.

Fighting between Lendu and Hema militias has killed more than 50,000 people since 1999.

Source: Xinhua