NewzVille International
At least 35 people were killed on Sunday when suspected Islamic State-backed Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels attacked a Catholic church in Komanda, Ituri province, eastern Congo. The militants wielded guns and machetes during the early morning assault on the people who were worshiping.
The ADF, linked to ISIS, operates in the border area between Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The rebel group has a history of violent attacks targeting civilians, particularly in vulnerable communities along the Uganda-DRC frontier.
Witnesses reported that rebels focused on Christians sheltering overnight inside the Komanda church. The attackers also set fire to nearby houses and shops, spreading terror in a region that had seen relative calm for months before the attack.
The United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC condemned the violence. Meanwhile, Congolese forces continue to face challenges combating the ADF amid ongoing conflicts with Rwanda-backed M23 rebels in the volatile region.
