Congo: Over 40 killed in militant attack on church
The ADF — an insurgent group with ties to the so-called "Islamic State" group — raided the church located in the northeastern town of Komanda as worshippers gathered for prayer.
What do we know about the attack on the Catholic church?
Nine children were among those killed, according to MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission in the country.
According to reports, houses and shops surrounding the church were also set ablaze by the rebels.
"These targeted attacks on defenseless civilians, especially in places of worship, are not only revolting but also contrary to all norms of human rights and international humanitarian law," the mission's deputy chief, Vivian van de Perre, said in a statement.
Sunday's attack marked the end of a months-long period of calm in the region of Ituri, bordering Uganda.
In February, 23 people had died in an attack by the ADF in the province's Mambasa territory.
The Congolese military condemned what it described as a "large-scale massacre" on Sunday.
It said the ADF had decided to take "revenge on defenseless peaceful populations to spread terror".
Eastern Congo is considered one of the world's most dangerous regions.
Nearly 130 different armed groups are said to be active across the country, many of which are focused on controlling the region's vast and valuable reserves of natural resources like coltan, cobalt, gold and diamonds.
Hostilities earlier this year between Congolese forces and the M23 rebel group ended in a truce on July 19.
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Times of Oman
2 days ago
- Times of Oman
Congo: Over 40 killed in militant attack on church
At least 43 people were killed in the Democratic Republic of Congo after a Catholic church was attacked by Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels on Sunday. The ADF — an insurgent group with ties to the so-called "Islamic State" group — raided the church located in the northeastern town of Komanda as worshippers gathered for prayer. What do we know about the attack on the Catholic church? Nine children were among those killed, according to MONUSCO, the UN peacekeeping mission in the country. According to reports, houses and shops surrounding the church were also set ablaze by the rebels. "These targeted attacks on defenseless civilians, especially in places of worship, are not only revolting but also contrary to all norms of human rights and international humanitarian law," the mission's deputy chief, Vivian van de Perre, said in a statement. Sunday's attack marked the end of a months-long period of calm in the region of Ituri, bordering Uganda. In February, 23 people had died in an attack by the ADF in the province's Mambasa territory. The Congolese military condemned what it described as a "large-scale massacre" on Sunday. It said the ADF had decided to take "revenge on defenseless peaceful populations to spread terror". Eastern Congo is considered one of the world's most dangerous regions. Nearly 130 different armed groups are said to be active across the country, many of which are focused on controlling the region's vast and valuable reserves of natural resources like coltan, cobalt, gold and diamonds. Hostilities earlier this year between Congolese forces and the M23 rebel group ended in a truce on July 19.
Observer
2 days ago
- Observer
At least 35 killed in church attack in northeast DR Congo
BUNIA: At least 35 people were killed on Sunday in an attack by Allied Democratic Forces rebels in northeastern DR Congo, ending a months-long period of regional calm, local sources said. The ADF, originally formed from former Ugandan rebels and which pledged allegiance to IS group in 2019, raided a Catholic church in the town of Komanda where worshippers were gathered for prayer, residents said by telephone from Bunia, capital of Ituri province. "Last night around 9 pm, we heard gunfire near the parish church... so far we have seen 35 bodies," Dieudonne Katanabo, an Umoja neighbourhood elder, said. "We have at least 31 dead members of the Eucharistic Crusade movement, with six seriously injured... some young people were kidnapped, we have no news of them," Father Aime Lokana Dhego, parish priest of the Blessed Anuarite parish of Komanda, said. The priest added that seven other bodies had been discovered in the town. Likewise attributing the attack to "ADF rebels", Christophe Munyanderu, coordinator of the local NGO Convention for the Respect of Human Rights, gave a provisional death toll of 38. Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, army spokesman in Ituri, did not comment on the toll but confirmed the attack to AFP, stating that "the enemy is believed to have been identified among ADF" rebels. The bloodshed comes after months of calm in the region of Ituri, bordering Uganda. The last major attack by the ADF was in February, leaving 23 dead in Mambasa territory. The town of Komanda in Irumu territory is a commercial hub linking three other provinces — Tshopo, North Kivu and Maniema. The ADF has killed thousands of civilians and ramped up looting and killing in northeastern DRC despite the deployment both of the Ugandan army alongside Congolese armed forces in the area. At the end of 2021, Kampala and Kinshasa launched a joint military operation against the ADF, dubbed "Shujaa", which has so far been unable to dislodge the group. — AFP
Times of Oman
21-07-2025
- Times of Oman
"When you butcher civilians, you don't get a pass": Trump backs TRF terror designation
Washington: The US House Foreign Affairs Committee Majority on Saturday said President Donald Trump strongly backed the administration's decision to designate The Resistance Front (TRF) as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation, calling it a deserved move against those responsible for killing civilians in India. "President Trump calls it like it is. The Resistance Front is a foreign terrorist organisation and deserves the designation. When you butcher civilians, you don't get a pass--you get JUSTICE," the Committee posted on X. The Resistance Front, a proxy group of Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT), had claimed responsibility for the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam area that killed 26 civilians. The attack also triggered a four-day military escalation between India and Pakistan. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar welcomed the move, calling it a strong step in the global fight against terrorism. He said the action reflected growing India-US counter-terrorism cooperation. "Appreciate SecRubio and @StateDept for designating TRF, a Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) proxy, as a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) and Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT). It claimed responsibility for the April 22 Pahalgam attack. Zero tolerance for terrorism," Jaishankar posted on his social media platform X. In a statement, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the decision to designate TRF under US anti-terrorism laws was based on its direct involvement in the Pahalgam attack and its known links with LeT. The United States noted that the Pahalgam incident was the deadliest civilian attack in India since the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which were also carried out by LeT. The US State Department further stated that TRF has been involved in multiple attacks on Indian security forces, including in 2024. The move, the US government said, reinforced the Trump administration's long-standing commitment to global counter-terrorism and signalled a message that terrorist proxies will not be spared.
