The deadly assault, attributed to the ADF rebel group, underscores the growing threat of Islamist extremism in Central Africa.
BY PC Bureau
July 27, 2025–In one of the deadliest attacks on civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in recent weeks, at least 21 people were killed during a predawn assault on a Catholic church in Komanda, Ituri province, on Sunday. The assault is believed to have been carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a militia group tied to the Islamic State, local civil society sources and the Congolese army reported.
The attack occurred at around 1 a.m., when armed rebels stormed the church compound, opening fire on worshippers and burning nearby houses and shops. Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, told the Associated Press:
“More than 21 people were shot dead inside and outside and we have recorded at least three charred bodies and several houses burned. But the search is continuing.”
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However, official military sources in Ituri put the confirmed death toll at around 10, underscoring discrepancies in early casualty figures. Military officials confirmed the violence but described fewer deaths than local leaders reported.
The ADF, originally a Ugandan insurgent group, pledged allegiance to Islamic State’s Central Africa Province (IS‑CAP) and has carried out a string of brutal attacks targeting Christian communities and other civilians in North Kivu and Ituri provinces. International observers and the European Parliament have condemned the group’s relentless assaults, including mass beheadings and church executions.
Breaking.
At least 21 people were killed on Sunday in an attack on church premises in eastern Congo by Islamic State jihadists, according to a civil society leader.The attack was carried out by members of the Islamic State Central Africa Province around 1 a.m. inside the…
— Paweł Wójcik 🦋 (@SaladinAlDronni) July 27, 2025
Earlier this year, in February 2025, reports surfaced of at least 70 Christians being abducted and murdered inside a church in Kasanga, Lubero Territory, possibly by ADF militants. Bodies were found with signs of blunt force trauma, raising serious concerns over religiously motivated violence.
Sunday’s attack comes amid sustained conflict between ADF affiliates and the Democratic Republic of Congo’s armed forces, with regional players like M23 rebels and external actors complicating peace efforts. A recent peace agreement mediated in Doha seeks to quell violence, but implementation remains fragile amid allegations of foreign interference.
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Eastern DRC continues to suffer from protracted instability. According to UN estimates, more than 7.8 million people remain internally displaced due to clashes involving over 120 armed factions. The cumulative toll of violence has severely disrupted education, healthcare, and community resilience.
The search for victims and survivors continues in Komanda, where fear and grief dominate the community. Local leaders have appealed for international support in securing displaced populations and restoring safety. Meanwhile, the discrepancy between official and civil society casualty figures underscores the challenges in conflict reporting and humanitarian response in volatile regions.
