Over 50 dead after ISIS affiliate ADF attacks funeral in DR Congo’s Lubero territory
Congolese soldiers arrived on Tuesday morning to repel the attackers, but by then the assault had ended, army spokesperson Lieutenant Marc Elongo confirmed.
More than 50 civilians were killed on Monday night when Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels armed with various weapons attacked a funeral in Ntoyo, Lubero territory, eastern DR Congo.
Reports indicate that some victims were shot while others were hacked with machetes. The assailants also set fire to vehicles.
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Congolese soldiers arrived on Tuesday morning to repel the attackers, but by then the assault had ended, army spokesperson Lieutenant Marc Elongo confirmed.
Local authorities warned that the death toll could rise as many people remain missing.
"I can confirm a provisional death toll of 50. The victims were caught off guard at a mourning ceremony in the village of Ntoyo at around 9 p.m., and most of them were killed with machetes. The search is continuing," local administrator Macaire Sivikunula told Reuters.
ISIS affiliate
The ADF, originally a Ugandan rebel group, is now an affiliate of ISIS, the extremist organisation that seeks to establish a global caliphate under its strict interpretation of Islamic law. ISIS is notorious for brutal tactics, including mass killings and terrorist attacks.
ISIS formally recognised the ADF as an affiliate in 2018 and began claiming responsibility for its attacks from April 2019, starting with an assault on a Congolese army base near Kamango.
The massacre in Ntoyo marks part of a sharp escalation in ADF violence in recent months. In late July, at least 43 people were killed and 15 others injured when ADF fighters launched a brutal attack on a Catholic church in Komanda, eastern DR Congo.
ISIS later claimed responsibility for the church massacre, announcing on its Telegram channel that its fighters killed “approximately over 40 worshippers during a night mass in Komanda” and burned dozens of homes and shops.
Human rights groups say the ADF has increasingly targeted places of worship and civilian gatherings in recent years, aiming to spread fear and weaken public trust in the Congolese government’s ability to maintain peace.
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