Islamic State-affiliated militants attack Congo village, killing 13

Militants linked to the Islamic State's Central Africa Province, operating as the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), attacked the village of Banana École near Mambasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo on Saturday. Local civil‑society leaders reported at least 13 civilians were killed and homes were burned and looted. Survivors said the assault forced many residents to flee, fearing further attacks and the spread of the Ebola outbreak in the province.

The ADF, originally Ugandan rebels that pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in 2019, has intensified its campaign in eastern Congo. The group claims responsibility for the massacre and has been cited in broader reports of Christian persecution across Africa, with the IS Central Africa Province alleging more than 800 Christian deaths in the Congo's Ituri region since December 2024. The violence underscores a growing pattern of extremist attacks targeting civilians and religious communities in the region.