At least 34 killed in Catholic church massacre by Islamic State militants in Congo

A devastating attack on a Catholic church in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) July 27 has left at least 34 people dead, with local sources suggesting the number could be even higher.

The violence erupted in the early hours of Sunday morning in the Ituri province town of Komanda and has been attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militant group aligned with the Islamic State, teleSUR reported.

Gunmen entered the church around 1 a.m., where worshippers had gathered for an overnight vigil organized by the humanitarian group Caritas. The assailants launched their assault with machetes and firearms and set fire to surrounding houses and shops.

Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in the region, said the bodies are still at the site of the massacre, Spectrum News 1 reported.

“[V]olunteers are preparing how to bury them in a mass grave that we are preparing in a compound of the Catholic church,” Duranthabo said.

Local media reports have varied, with some sources suggesting the death toll could exceed 40. The Congolese army confirmed at least 10 deaths, while UN-supported Radio Okapi cited 43, based on security sources. The attackers are believed to have fled before security forces arrived.

A separate incident in the nearby village of Machongani left at least five additional people dead. Local leaders also reported abductions during that attack, but the number of those taken remains unconfirmed.

According to Spectrum News 1, the ADF has operated in eastern DRC for over two decades and has been linked to repeated attacks on civilian populations. In 2019, the group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State. 

Security challenges in the region have been ongoing, with multiple armed groups, including the ADF and M23, contributing to instability. Calls for increased protection and military response continue, as communities in Ituri and neighboring provinces face the threat of further violence.

Earlier this year, the ADF was responsible for another brutal massacre in North Kivu province, where militants abducted and killed approximately 70 Christians, including children, women, and the elderly. The victims were discovered tied up and, in many cases, beheaded inside a Protestant church in the village of Kasanga.

CatholicVote reported at the time that international religious freedom advocates described the incident as a stark example of escalating anti-Christian violence in the country.

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