Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo: A brutal attack by Islamic State-linked rebels on a funeral ceremony in eastern Congo has left at least 60 people dead, with many of the victims found beheaded. The massacre, carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), took place in the village of Ntoyo in the North Kivu province.
According to local officials and a survivor, the militants, armed with machetes and guns, targeted people who had gathered for a mourning ceremony.
A survivor who spoke to The Associated Press said the attackers told people to gather in one place before starting to “cut them.” The survivor fainted after hearing the screams.
A local administrator, Colonel Alain Kiwewa, confirmed the attack and the high death toll, noting that the final count was not yet known as teams had been deployed to count the number of “beheaded people.” The Islamic State — Central Africa Province (ISCAP), a name also used for the ADF, claimed responsibility for the attack and stated that they had killed nearly 100 Christians.
The attack is the latest in a series of violent incidents in the volatile eastern region of the DRC, which is home to numerous armed groups. The ADF, a group with its origins in Uganda, has been responsible for a significant number of attacks on civilians in recent years, often using extreme violence. The region is also grappling with other conflicts, including a major conflict between the M23 rebel group and the Congolese government. The ongoing violence has led to a severe humanitarian crisis, with hundreds of thousands of people displaced.
