Authorities have blamed Allied Democratic Forces fighters for a deadly assault

At least 43 people have been killed in an attack by Islamic State-linked fighters in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo), the army said on Thursday.

The Congolese armed forces attributed the attack to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), originally a Ugandan Islamist group. It has waged a violent insurgency in eastern Congo for decades and pledged allegiance to Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS) in 2019. The group's fighters have been blamed for massacres, kidnappings, and bombings.

"The toll is 43 compatriots killed, 44 houses burned, and a dump truck and five motorcycles damaged in the locality of Bafwakowa, Bandaka chiefdom," the authorities said.

Officials told Reuters that the assault occurred at around 7 PM local time in the village in Mambasa territory, Ituri province, near the town of Niania.

"These barbaric acts, characterized by blind violence, loss of human life and destruction of property, constitute a serious violation of human dignity and a flagrant violation of fundamental rights," government spokesman Patrick Muyaya said, as quoted by Actualite.

The DR Congo continues to grapple with instability as the M23 rebel group maintains control over parts of the country, fueling ongoing clashes and humanitarian crises.

The latest violence follows a string of similar incidents. In January, the same armed group tied to Islamic State killed at least 25 civilians in Ituri province. The Convention for the Respect of Human Rights (CRDH) said fighters from the ADF raided the village of Apakulu, burning a house with 15 men trapped inside, executing seven others along a road, and killing three more people in nearby communities.

In September, ADF fighters killed at least 89 people in overnight attacks in North Kivu province, including Christians gathered at a funeral in Ntoyo village, where they allegedly hacked victims with machetes and left at least 60 dead. Additional killings were reported in Beni, where survivors described extreme brutality, including beheadings.

(RT.com)