Islamic State-affiliated militants launched a deadly assault in the eastern region of the Democratic Republic of Congo, resulting in several fatalities, including an attack on a church that claimed five lives, according to local reports on Wednesday.
The offensive by the insurgents occurred on Tuesday night in the vicinity of Baeti, close to Oicha town within Beni’s jurisdiction.
Oicha’s Mayor, Nicolas Kikuku, informed AFP that the bodies of eight people, slain by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), were transported to Oicha’s hospital morgue. Among the deceased were five worshippers killed during a service in Baeti.
This area is part of the North-Kivu province, adjacent to the Ituri province border, both of which have been under a military-enforced “state of siege” since 2021 to combat the activities of armed factions.
This emergency measure entails the substitution of civil authorities with military and police personnel.
Darius Syahira, a representative from the local civil society, verified the occurrence of the attack and noted the presence of casualties in the morgue, though he did not specify the number of victims.
The ADF, initially a coalition with a Ugandan Muslim majority, has been active in eastern Congo since 1995 and is considered among the most lethal groups in the conflict-ridden region.
The militia declared its allegiance to the Islamic State group in 2019. Previously, in December, the ADF faced allegations of perpetrating two assaults in western Uganda that resulted in the death of 13 villagers.
Following a period of relative tranquility in the Congo’s Beni territory, the ADF has been implicated in recent attacks, including one at the end of January that left five people dead.
The Congolese Foreign Minister announced on Saturday the “commencement” of the withdrawal process of the United Nations mission in the Democratic Republic of Congo, expressing hope to conclude the operation by the end of the current year.
