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The Islamic State (IS) militant group has claimed responsibility for a brutal attack that left at least 43 worshippers dead during a night mass at a church in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to a statement by the United Nations mission, MONUSCO.
The massacre unfolded at dawn on Sunday in the village of Komanda, roughly 75 kilometres from Bunia, the capital of Ituri Province. Armed militants affiliated with the Islamic State stormed the church, killing worshippers with guns and machetes and reportedly taking others captive.
On its Telegram channel, Islamic State claimed that the rebels had killed about 45 churchgoers and set fire to dozens of homes and shops.
MONUSCO strongly condemned the attack, stating that at least 43 people were confirmed dead, including 19 women and nine children. The mission identified the assailants as members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group aligned with Islamic State.
The ADF, originally from neighbouring Uganda, has entrenched itself in eastern Congo’s mineral-rich region and carries out regular assaults, deepening insecurity in an area already plagued by competing armed groups.
Pope Leo extended his condolences on Monday to the grieving families and the Christian community devastated by the attack. In his message, he said he would remember them in his prayers.
