The death toll from an attack on a Catholic church in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo by Islamic State-linked rebels has risen to 34, according to officials.
The attack occurred at the place of worship in Komanda, Ituri province.
Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator, stated that “The bodies of the victims are still at the scene of the tragedy, and volunteers are preparing to bury them in a mass grave that we are preparing in a compound of the Catholic church.”
Prior to the church attack, at least five people were reportedly killed in Machongani, a nearby village, where a search operation is currently underway.
“They took several people into the bush; we do not know their destination or their number,” Lossa Dhekana, a civil society leader in Ituri, told reporters about the Machongani incident.
Both attacks are believed to have been perpetrated by members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), who were armed with guns and machetes.
While the military has confirmed at least 10 fatalities, local media outlets have reported a total death toll exceeding 40.
Mr. Duranthabo relayed that the attackers stormed the church in Komanda town at approximately 1 a.m. Several houses and shops were also set on fire.
Lt. Jules Ngongo, a Congolese army spokesperson in Ituri province, verified that 10 people were killed in the church attack.
Video footage circulating online purportedly shows burning structures and bodies inside the church. Individuals identifying victims were seen weeping, while others appeared to be in shock.
A UN-backed radio station reported 43 fatalities, citing security sources. The report indicated that the attackers originated from a stronghold roughly seven miles from Komanda’s center and fled before security forces arrived.
Mr. Duranthabo condemned the attack, emphasizing that it took place “in a town where all the security officials are present”.
He further stated, “We demand military intervention as soon as possible, since we are told the enemy is still near our town.”
Eastern Congo has been plagued by numerous deadly attacks in recent years, carried out by armed groups including the ADF and Rwanda-backed rebels.
The ADF, which maintains links to the Islamic State group, operates in the border region between Uganda and Congo and frequently targets civilians.
Earlier this month, the group was responsible for the deaths of dozens of people in Ituri, in what a United Nations spokesperson described as a bloodbath.
The ADF was formed in Uganda in the late 1990s by various small groups allegedly dissatisfied with President Yoweri Museveni.
In 2002, following military operations by Ugandan forces, the group relocated its activities to neighboring Congo and has since been responsible for the deaths of thousands of civilians. In 2019, it pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.
The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), which have long struggled against the rebel group, are also facing attacks amid renewed hostilities with the Rwanda-backed M23.
