Funeral Turns Into Bloodbath: Terrorists Attack Funeral Gathering, Over 60 People Killed in Brutal Assault

Goma (The Uttam Hindu): In Congo’s North Kivu province, the ISIS-linked terror group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) carried out a deadly attack on a funeral, killing at least 60 people. The massacre took place in Ntoyo village, where mourners had gathered for a burial. According to an eyewitness, around 10 assailants armed with machetes and knives stormed the gathering, forced people into one place, and then launched a frenzied assault. Several victims were beheaded in the horrific bloodbath.

Colonel Alain Kiwewa, local administrator of the Lubero region, said the death toll could rise as recovery teams continue counting bodies at the scene. On the same day, the ADF launched another assault in North Kivu’s Beni region, killing at least 18 more people. Human rights activist Claude Musavuli reported that the bodies brought to Oicha town were mutilated with sword wounds.

ADF’s ISIS allegiance since 2019

The ADF has been active in eastern Congo and along the Ugandan border, formally pledging allegiance to the Islamic State in 2019. Despite joint military operations by Congolese and Ugandan forces, the group continues to unleash brutal attacks on civilians.

Previous large-scale massacres

In July, the ADF killed more than 100 people in two separate attacks in Ituri province, including 34 worshippers during an assault on a church in Komanda. UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk expressed deep concern, warning that the security vacuum in eastern Congo is enabling militant groups like the ADF to repeatedly target innocent civilians.