Suspected members of the IS-linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) have killed 20 civilians in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province, local sources reported on Thursday.
The attack occurred on Tuesday in Babila Babombi, a village in the Mambasa region, an area frequently targeted by the ADF and other militant groups.
Local police confirmed the victims were taken hostage during the raid and included 16 men and four women. Four individuals who escaped are now receiving medical treatment.
Human rights activists noted that many of the victims were gold miners, traders, and farmers, calling for military intervention to retrieve the bodies for proper burial.
Despite joint military efforts by Congolese and Ugandan forces since late 2021 to dismantle the ADF in North Kivu and Ituri, the group continues to launch deadly attacks. Some experts believe these operations have driven the rebels into more remote areas, where they remain active.
