An international aid group working in eastern Congo says recent fighting has left dozens wounded and forced thousands to flee their homes.

Medecins Sans Frontieres, or Doctors Without Borders, said Monday that 66 people - mostly women and children - had been treated in the last several days at the hospital in Rutshuru.

The town is located about 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Goma, the regional capital.

Patrick Wieland, who heads the MSF mission in North Kivu, said some of the wounded had been hurt by an explosion near a church.

Eastern Congo has been wracked by violence for years. The most recent fighting was sparked by the formation of yet another rebel group in the area that is now battling government forces.