14 UN peacekeepers have been killed and 40 wounded in an attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo, officials have said.
Deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said: "It's a very huge attack, certainly the worst in recent memory."
At least five Congolese soldiers were killed in the incident, with Mr Haq adding that the dead UN peacekeepers are mainly from Tanzania.
UN peacekeeping chief Jean-Pierre Lacroix earlier said the attack happened in North Kivu province, but did not identify the attackers.
He added that reinforcements have been sent to the scene.
Outraged by the attack against @MONUSCO in #NorthKivu DRC last evening, where a large number of @UN peacekeepers have been killed & wounded. Our thoughts & prayers with families & our colleagues in @MONUSCO. Reinforcements are on scene & medical evacuations by Mission ongoing. pic.twitter.com/l84tFHYKMR
— Jean-Pierre Lacroix (@Lacroix_UN) December 8, 2017
More than 18,000 uniformed UN personnel are deployed in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as part of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission (MONUSCO) in the country.
