Islamic State-aligned rebels kill 66 civilians in eastern Congo
Fighters with the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which has ties to IS, killed civilians in the area of Irumu in the east of the country bordering Uganda. The attack comes as eastern Congo may see an end to its ongoing war with M23, a separate rebel group which is backed by Rwanda, another of Congo's neighbors.
Jean Tobie Okala, the spokesperson for the United Nations mission in Ituri in eastern Congo, called the attack a 'bloodbath.'
'Around 30 civilians were killed between Thursday and Friday, July 11, in the Walese Vonkutu chiefdom, Irumu territory, in Ituri,' said Okala in a statement to the Associated Press. 'Based on information from civil society, the death toll has risen from 31 to 66 civilians killed.'
The ADF is a Ugandan Islamist group that operates on both sides of the porous border.
All the victims, including women, were killed with machetes, said the president of a local civil society, Marcel Paluku. The number of people taken hostage is unknown.
The attack is suspected to be in response to an escalating bombing campaign by joint Congolese and Ugandan forces that started on Sunday.
The number of ADF fighters in Congo is unclear, but they are a significant presence in the region and regularly attack civilians. The group originated in the late 1990s in neighboring Uganda and became affiliated with IS in 2019. Muslims make up about 10% of the Congolese population, most of them in the east.
In recent years, attacks by the Allied Democratic Forces have intensified near Congo's border with Uganda and spread towards Goma, eastern Congo's main city, as well as the neighboring Ituri province. Rights groups and the United Nations have accused the ADF of killing hundreds of people and abducting even more, including a significant number of children.
In December, the ADF killed at least 10 people and abducted several more in another village in North Kivu.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Toronto Sun
16 hours ago
- Toronto Sun
Journal de Montréal, TVA offices targeted by vandals
The vandals threw paint and smashed windows as stunned employees watched. Published Aug 01, 2025 • Last updated 6 hours ago • 1 minute read Journal de Montréal and the TVA television offices were targeted by vandals July 31, 2025. Anonymous handout The offices of the Journal de Montréal and the TVA television were targeted by vandals Thursday night in an attack that appears related to the Québecor media empire's coverage of Muslims and 'all vulnerable and marginalized communities.' This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Unlimited online access to articles from across Canada with one account. Get exclusive access to the Toronto Sun ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition that you can share, download and comment on. Enjoy insights and behind-the-scenes analysis from our award-winning journalists. Support local journalists and the next generation of journalists. Daily puzzles including the New York Times Crossword. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Don't have an account? Create Account The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m., police said, when vandals used a hammer to break through the main door of the offices on Frontenac St. near Mont-Royal Ave. The vandals threw paint and smashed windows as stunned employees watched. The suspects fled before the arrival of police. In its report on the attack, Journal de Montréal editor Stéphane Alarie that no injuries were reported. An anonymous email sent to the Montreal Gazette early Friday said Thursday night's attack targeted Journal de Montréal owner Pierre Karl Péladeau 'and his Québecor empire.' 'We can not ignore the systemic role that the Québecor empire takes in the flagrant rise of Islamophobia in recent years; an integral element to the desensitization and general normalization of the Palestinian genocide in the public discourse,' the email reads. 'Through a diversity of media entities, editing houses, advertising companies, and cultural productions, Québecor propagates infinite hatred toward all vulnerable and marginalized communities. Queer and trans folks, drug users, immigrants, houseless people, just to name a few examples, all suffer dehumanization by the hands of PKP's cronies.' Montreal police said they will examine surveillance tapes in an effort to track down the suspects. Toronto & GTA Toronto Blue Jays Columnists Celebrity Canada
Montreal Gazette
21 hours ago
- Montreal Gazette
Journal de Montréal, TVA offices targeted by vandals
The offices of the Journal de Montréal and the TVA television were targeted by vandals Thursday night in an attack that appears related to the Québecor media empire's coverage of Muslims and 'all vulnerable and marginalized communities.' The incident occurred around 10:30 p.m., police said, when vandals used a hammer to break through the main door of the offices on Frontenac St. near Mont-Royal Ave. The vandals threw paint and smashed windows as stunned employees watched. The suspects fled before the arrival of police. In its report on the attack, Journal de Montréal editor Stéphane Alarie that no injuries were reported. An anonymous email sent to the Montreal Gazette early Friday said Thursday night's attack targeted Journal de Montréal owner Pierre Karl Péladeau 'and his Québecor empire.' 'We can not ignore the systemic role that the Québecor empire takes in the flagrant rise of Islamophobia in recent years; an integral element to the desensitization and general normalization of the Palestinian genocide in the public discourse,' the email reads. 'Through a diversity of media entities, editing houses, advertising companies, and cultural productions, Québecor propagates infinite hatred toward all vulnerable and marginalized communities. Queer and trans folks, drug users, immigrants, houseless people, just to name a few examples, all suffer dehumanization by the hands of PKP's cronies.' Montreal police said they will examine surveillance tapes in an effort to track down the suspects.
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Swedish man convicted for his role in 2015 killing of a Jordanian pilot by the Islamic State group
STOCKHOLM (AP) — A Swedish man was convicted and sentenced to life in prison on Thursday for his role in the 2015 killing of a Jordanian pilot by the Islamic State militant group, Swedish media reported. The 26-year-old Jordanian, 1st Lt. Mu'ath al-Kaseasbeh, was taken captive after his F-16 fighter jet crashed near the extremists' de facto capital of Raqqa in northern Syria. He was forced into a cage that was set on fire in early 2015. The suspect, identified by Swedish prosecutors as Osama Krayem, 32, is alleged to have traveled to Syria in September 2014 to fight for IS. Krayem was sentenced to life in prison on Thursday, Swedish news agency TT reported. Krayem was indicted by Swedish prosecutors in May on suspicion of committing serious war crimes and terrorist crimes in Syria. He was previously convicted in France and Brussels for fatal Islamic State attacks in those countries. The airman became the first known foreign military pilot to fall into the militants' hands after the U.S.-led international coalition began its aerial campaign against the Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq in 2014. Jordan, a close U.S. ally, was a member of the coalition and the pilot's killing appeared aimed at pressuring the government of Jordan to leave the alliance.
