Rebels supported by the Islamic State group launched an assault in eastern DR Congo, resulting in the deaths of two Ugandan soldiers, along with two civilians and one suspected assailant, as reported by authorities on Saturday.
On Friday night, two truck drivers, one from Kenya and the other from the Congo, were fatally shot by the IS-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) at a parking lot in Kasindi, Beni territory, according to Barthelemy Kambale, a civil servant in North Kivu province.
He informed media that the fifth deceased individual was presumed to be one of the assailants.
The Islamic State group asserted responsibility for the attack in a statement posted on Telegram on Saturday evening.
Kasindi was previously the site of a Pentecostal church bombing in January, attributed to the ADF, resulting in the deaths of approximately 15 individuals. IS had claimed responsibility for this incident.
In 2021, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) initiated a collaborative military campaign against the ADF in an attempt to dislodge the militants from their strongholds in Congo. Despite these efforts, attacks by the group have persisted.
Initially comprised predominantly of Ugandan rebels, including Muslim fighters, the ADF established a presence in the region during the 1990s and has faced allegations of carrying out mass killings of numerous civilians.
“The ADF enemy arrived about 22:30 (2030 GMT), our forces blocked the road against the rebels,” said Kambale, adding that “two Ugandan soldiers died during the operation”.
Three vehicles were burnt out, he said.
“People are angry, they burned the body of a dead ADF,” said a local civil society representative, asking not to be named.
During the overnight period from Monday to Tuesday, a tragic incident claimed the lives of twenty-six civilians near Oicha town, and it has been attributed to the ADF. This area, located in Beni territory, has been a focal point of the long-standing violence by the ADF, referred to as the Islamic State Central Africa Province by IS.
In Uganda, the police reported that the ADF was responsible for the homicide of a newlywed couple and their safari guide in Queen Elizabeth National Park on October 17. IS claimed responsibility for this attack.
Despite the presence of peacekeepers, eastern DRC remains under the influence of numerous militia groups and rebel factions.
