Twenty-nine suspects have been arrested in Tanzania's southern highlands region of Njombe in connection with brutal killings of children, Minister for Home Affairs Kangi Lugola said on Wednesday.

"We are holding 29 people for interrogations as we continue with investigations. We are going to take stringent legal measures against the assailants regardless of their positions and social status," Lugola told the National Assembly.

Lugola told the House in the capital Dodoma that the number of confirmed murdered children has so far reached seven.

He added that two children were abducted and recovered while one was injured by the killers.

Lugola said the police force in collaboration with Njombe regional defense and security committee have taken a number of measures to address the situation, including assigning a team of police detectives.

On Monday, the Speaker of the National Assembly, Job Ndugai, said Tanzanian police have arrested 10 businessmen in Njombe and Makambako towns in connection with the recent killings of the children.

Last week, Lugola associated the killings of children in Njombe with superstitious beliefs.

The United Nations in Tanzania last week condemned the attack and murder of the children, saying children have a fundamental right to be safe and be protected from violence so that they can enjoy their childhood and reach their full potential. 

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