Suspected ADF militants on Sunday killed at least 17 people in eastern DR Congo, local officials, only days after the Islamist-aligned group conducted another massacre in the troubled region.
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which the Islamic State group claims as its central African affiliate, is one of the deadliest armed militias in eastern Congo, accused of slaughtering thousands of civilians.
The latest attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday at Kirindera in North Kivu province’s Beni territory, according to village chief Katembo Kahongya.
“We have 17 dead and four wounded,” he told AFP, adding that the militants had also set fire to buildings.
“They used bladed weapons and fire to execute the population,” Kahongya said.
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which the Islamic State group claims as its central African affiliate, is one of the deadliest armed militias in eastern Congo, accused of slaughtering thousands of civilians.
The latest attack occurred in the early hours of Sunday at Kirindera in North Kivu province’s Beni territory, according to village chief Katembo Kahongya.
“We have 17 dead and four wounded,” he told AFP, adding that the militants had also set fire to buildings.
“They used bladed weapons and fire to execute the population,” Kahongya said.
The attack comes after suspected ADF rebels killed over 40 people in twin attacks in neighbouring North Kivu villages on Wednesday, according to officials and residents.
A joint Congolese-Ugandan military operation targeting the militia in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo has been underway since late 2021, but attacks have nonetheless continued.
Last week, the United States offered a reward of up to $5 million for information concerning ADF leader Seka Musa Baluku.