Islamic State-linked Rebels Massacre 34 in Eastern Congo Church Attack

KOMANDA, Democratic Republic of Congo – At least 34 people were brutally killed when Islamic State-backed rebels stormed a Catholic church in eastern Congo early Sunday morning, according to local civil society leaders. The attackers also set fire to several homes and shops in the Komanda town, located in the Ituri province.

The horrific assault occurred around 1 a.m. Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, described the scene as a tragedy, with the bodies of victims still present as volunteers prepared for a mass burial within the church compound.

Video footage circulating online depicted burning structures and the grim aftermath inside the church, with witnesses identifying victims and expressing shock and grief.

In a separate but related incident,at least five other individuals were killed in an earlier attack on the nearby village of Machongani. Lossa Dhekana, another civil society leader in Ituri, reported that attackers abducted several people, taking them into the bush with their destination and numbers unknown.

Authorities believe the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group with ties to the Islamic State, carried out both attacks using guns and machetes. Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, a spokesperson for the Congolese army in Ituri, confirmed at least 10 fatalities at the church. Though, U.N.-backed Radio Okapi cited security sources reporting a higher death toll of 43. The attackers reportedly retreated before security forces could arrive, having originated from a stronghold approximately 7 miles from Komanda.

duranthabo condemned the violence, highlighting the presence of security officials in the town and calling for immediate military intervention. “The enemy is still near our town,” he warned.

Eastern Congo has been plagued by relentless violence from armed groups, including the ADF and Rwandan-backed rebels. The ADF,which has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State,operates in the border region between Uganda and Congo,frequently targeting civilians. Earlier this month, the group was responsible for a “bloodbath” in Ituri, killing dozens of people, according to a United Nations spokesperson.

The ADF originated in Uganda in the late 1990s. Following military pressure from ugandan forces in 2002, the group relocated its operations to the democratic Republic of Congo, where it has as been implicated in the deaths of thousands of civilians. The Congolese army has struggled to contain the ADF, especially amidst ongoing conflict involving the M23 rebel movement, which is reportedly backed by neighboring rwanda.