The International Committee of the Red Cross has accused soldiers of the ousted military government in Sierra Leone of committing atrocities against civilians.

It said that doctors had treated more than one-thousand severely mutilated civilians in recent weeks.

Many had one or both arms amputated, while others had deep lacerations to the arms and face.

The injuries were inflicted during attacks on villages by the former military government and allied rebels ousted by the West African intervention force in February.

The ICRC says it believes hundreds of people have been killed, and only one in four survivors has managed to reach help.

The United Nations and other international groups have accused the rebels of seeking revenge against defenseless civilians.