The Islamic State militant group has claimed responsibility for a brutal assault on a church in eastern Congo that left at least 43 worshippers dead during a night mass, according to the United Nations peacekeeping mission MONUSCO.
At dawn on Sunday, fighters linked to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF)—an Islamic State affiliate—stormed a church in Komanda, about 75 kilometers from Bunia, the capital of Ituri province. Armed with guns and machetes, they killed congregants and abducted others.
In a statement on its Telegram channel, Islamic State said its fighters killed around 45 people and set fire to dozens of homes and shops during the attack.
MONUSCO confirmed that 43 people were killed, including 19 women and nine children, and condemned the massacre.
The ADF, originally based in Uganda, has entrenched itself in Congo’s mineral-rich east, where it frequently carries out deadly raids, deepening instability in a region already scarred by decades of armed conflict.
Pope Leo expressed condolences on Monday, offering prayers for the victims and their families, and calling for an end to the cycle of violence.
