Rebels linked to the Islamic State killed at least 15 people, including two soldiers, in a series of brutal overnight attacks on three villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) targeted the villages of Kilonge, Katanga, and Maendeleo in the Lubero territory on Thursday night, using bladed weapons to kill most of the victims and burning down homes, according to local officials.
The death toll was confirmed at 16 by the area’s military administrator on Friday afternoon.
This attack is the latest in a persistent pattern of deadly raids by the ADF, which continues to target civilians despite ongoing joint military operations by the Congolese and Ugandan armies.
Local officials are delaying funerals for the victims, fearing that the rebels could ambush the gatherings.
The ADF, which originated in Uganda but is now based in Congo, has a history of carrying out massacres, including an attack that killed 89 civilians over one week in November and another that claimed over 60 lives at a funeral in September.
