Kinshasa, Sep 17 (IANS): Military operations aimed at eliminating armed groups have resulted in the rescue of 1,411 children from armed groups in the east of the Congo, the spokesman for the UN mission in the country (MONUSCO) Felix Prospere Basse has said.

Basse said on Wednesday that the children who included 1,339 boys and 72 girls, were rescued between January and September 2015 from armed groups in Katanga, North Kivu, South Kivu and Orientale provinces, Xinhua reported.

They were rescued from groups such as the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda, Mayi Mayi Rahiya Mutomboki, Mayi Mayi Nyatura, FRPI, NDC Cheka and Mayi Mayi Yakutumba.

The UN spokesman said child protection actors were still appealing to armed groups to release children and hand them over to MONUSCO so that they can start living a normal life, especially going to school.

So far in 2015, MONUSCO's Child Protection Unit has documented deaths of 48 children and mutilation of 44 others due to conflict related violence. During the same period, 24 incidents that negatively impacted on the health and education of children were documented.