The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) has expressed its deepest sympathy and condolences to the family, colleagues and friends of three people killed on Monday, in an attack on a delegation travelling on a field visit in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

A number of other passengers travelling with the delegation sustained injuries during the attack.

The three fatalities have been identified as the Italian Ambassador to DRC, Luca Attanasio, an Italian embassy official, and a WFP driver.

The delegation was travelling from Goma to visit a WFP school feeding programme in Rutshuru when the incident took place.

WFP said in a statement late on Monday that it will work with national authorities to determine the details behind the attack, which occurred on a road that had previously been cleared for travel without security escorts.