DRC troops patrol in Manzalaho village near Beni after a rebels’ attack (Photo: AFP/ VNA)

The two girls, aged one-year-old, were found in a village in north Kivu, a region where a militant group known as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) has stepped up bomb attacks, the UNICEF children's agency said. The explosives were removed by mine experts without detonating.

The twin sisters, who have not been identified, are now recovering from malnutrition at a UN center before being placed in foster care. Their parents had been killed in an attack, believed have been carried out by the ADF.

The violence in Congo has caused one of the world's worst and longest-running humanitarian emergencies, with more than 27 million people facing food shortages, and nearly 5.5 million forced to flee their homes, according to the UN. More than 2.8 million children are bearing the brunt of the crisis.