Seleka rebels kill 11 in CAR church attack

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At least 11 people have been killed in an attack on a church in the Central African Republic.

Eyewitnesses said members of the Seleka militia group threw grenades before shooting indiscriminately at the Church of Fatima in the capital Bangui.

The mostly Muslim Seleka rebels have been involved in heavy fighting with mainly Christian fighters in the anti-balaka militia since March 2013.

The conflict has displaced about 25% of CAR’s 4.6 million population.

The attack on the church followed hours of fighting in the PK5 neighborhood of Bangui.

Eyewitnesses said those inside the Catholic church were seeking shelter from the clashes.

Rev Freddy Mboula told the Associated Press (AP) that he was in the church when shooting was heard outside.

“There were screams and after 30 minutes of gunfire there were bodies everywhere” he said.

The priest of the church, Jonas Bekas, told Reuters that the death toll would probably rise because there were so many wounded.

“It would have been much worse if the anti-balaka militia had not come to defend us” he said.