IS‑backed Terrorists kill at least 21 in Church Massacre

Kinshasa (The Uttam Hindu): The African country Eastern Congo has once again been shaken by a terrorist attack. The Islamic State (IS)-backed rebel organization has brutally killed at least 21 people in a barbaric attack on a Catholic church complex. Many houses and shops were also set on fire in this late night attack. This incident has once again raised the fear of Islamic terrorism in the Christian-dominated country.

According to a civilian leader, the attack was carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) at a Catholic church compound in the Komanda region of eastern Congo at around 1 am. "More than 21 people were shot inside and outside the church. We have recovered at least three burnt bodies and several houses have also been burned. The search for the injured and bodies is still on," Dieudonné Durantbo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, told an international news agency. However, a Congolese army spokesman confirmed that 10 people were killed in the attack in Ituri province.

The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) is a dreaded insurgent group affiliated with the Islamic State, which has been active in the border areas of Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo for more than a decade. This organization has been constantly targeting civilians. In 2018, the ADF established formal ties with the Islamic State (ISIS) and in 2019 declared itself as the Islamic State Central Africa Province (IS-CAP).

Eastern Congo has long been plagued by such violent attacks. This attack is part of a similar trend, in which religious sites and communities are often targeted.

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