More than 100 people have been killed in Angola's central highland province of Bie.

An unconfirmed number of Unita rebel troops are alleged to be responsible for the deaths of up to 150 civilians in Chicandula, a small village in the east of Bie province.

Reports of the attack come at a time when the Angolan government is optimistic that peace throughout the country could be imminent.

The attack took place last week, but news only started seeping through on Monday when terrified villagers arrived in the provincial capital, Kuito.

'Immoral assassinations'

While some people escaped from the area in trucks, others made the 77km journey on foot.

Among those who managed to escape is a priest from the parish of Chinguar, who has described the deaths as immoral assassinations.

Locals from Camacupa, 50km east of Kuito, also arrived in the provincial capital on Monday.

They told local reporters that it was no longer safe to stay in Camacupa.

Unita 'active'

A Unita source told the BBC last week that the rebels are still extremely active in Bie province where he said government troops are currently carrying out an offensive.

However little information is currently available on the military situation in Angola.

Since government troops took control of the rebel central highland headquarters in October, Unita's military capacity is said to have decreased.

The head of the army, General Joao de Matos, insists that Unita has been defeated as a conventional force.

The Minister of Defence, Kundi Paihama, likewise said last week that the 25-year war is in its dying stages.

For the people of Chicandula, that might be hard to believe.