At least 30 people were killed late Wednesday in an overnight attack blamed on Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels, who have recently launched a series of deadly incursions into the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a military spokesman confirmed on Thursday.
ADF rebels launched an attack in the village of Mayikengo, Lubero Territory, North Kivu Province, Mak Hazukay, the DRC military spokesman for Beni Territory, told Xinhua, confirming the ADF’s first presence in Lubero Territory.
According to local sources, most of the victims, including women and children, were killed by machetes.
This attack came days after several deadly incursions by ADF rebels into the neighboring Beni Territory, which killed at least 57 on June 3-8, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.
The ADF, an affiliate of the Islamic State in Central Africa, has been notorious for its violent activities in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, which have been under a state of siege since May 2021, with military and police authorities replacing the civilian administration.
Hazukay said the resurgence of ADF rebel attacks against civilians was the result of heavy operational pressure exerted jointly by the Congolese and Ugandan militaries.
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