Dozens of people have been killed in an attack by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamic State affiliate, in the town of Komanda in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo.
The attack targeted worshippers taking part in a night vigil at a church, with reports indicating that around 20 churchgoers were among the dead. Nearby shops and businesses were looted and set on fire.
Local officials report varying death tolls, with estimates ranging from 10 confirmed deaths by the army spokesperson to 43 reported by the UN-sponsored Radio Okapi website.
Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator, stated that more than 21 people were shot dead, and several houses were burned, but the search for more bodies is ongoing.
Father Aime Lokana Dhego reported at least 31 dead members of the Eucharistic Crusade movement, six seriously injured, and some young people kidnapped.
The ADF, which emerged in Uganda in the 1990s and is now based in DR Congo, has been linked to the Islamic State’s Central African Province.
According to BBC Monitoring, nearly 90% of Islamic State operations are now carried out by affiliates in Africa. Despite the presence of Ugandan troops invited to help tackle the ADF in 2021, attacks continue in the mineral-rich Ituri province.
