At least 33 civilians were killed when militants affiliated with Islamic State (IS) attacked a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, setting fire to homes and a health facility and forcing patients infected with Ebola to flee, local authorities said on Friday.
The assault took place late Thursday in Cantine-Aloya, a village in North Kivu province, approximately 50 kilometres west of Beni, an area already struggling with a major Ebola outbreak.
Officials blamed the attack on the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group with links to IS that has carried out repeated attacks against civilians in eastern Congo.
Beni territorial administrator Colonel Charles Omeonga said the attackers burned several houses and a health post during the raid, which began at approximately 11 p.m. local time.
Local civil society leader Tchetche Aliamini said 33 bodies had been recovered following the violence. Most victims had been shot, while others were burned or killed with machetes.
Omeonga warned that the final death toll remained uncertain as heavy rainfall disrupted military operations and efforts to assess the extent of the attack.
Ebola patients flee amid growing health concerns
The violence also triggered fears of further Ebola transmission after patients fled a nearby hospital during the assault.
Christian Kakule Vulembera, the hospital’s head doctor, said those who escaped included one patient with a confirmed Ebola infection and five suspected cases.
Three of the suspected patients had been identified as high-risk contacts, raising concerns about possible exposure and the spread of the virus.
The attack comes as health authorities struggle to contain an Ebola outbreak that has severely affected eastern Congo.
North Kivu currently accounts for approximately half of the country’s newly reported infections, making disruptions to healthcare services particularly dangerous.
More than 10,000 Ebola infections and over 5,000 deaths have been recorded nationwide since the outbreak began.
The latest attack underscores the mounting challenges facing communities in eastern Congo, where persistent armed violence has complicated efforts to deliver healthcare, protect civilians and contain infectious diseases.
The ADF, originally formed in neighbouring Uganda, has operated in eastern Congo for decades and is recognised by IS as an affiliate.
