Key facts
- Militants from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) killed 21 people in Mbau, North Kivu province, DR Congo.
- The ADF is an Islamist militant group with origins in Uganda, linked to the Islamic State.
- Additional bodies were discovered on the outskirts of Mbau, increasing the death toll.
- ADF fighters reportedly operated in three groups, targeting specific neighborhoods and setting fire to homes and motorcycles.
- Over the past three days, ADF militants have killed more than 40 people in the Mbau and Beni territories.
- Several civilians were abducted and remain in captivity.
Militants from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an Islamist group with origins in Uganda and linked to the Islamic State, have killed 21 people in an attack on the town of Mbau in North Kivu province, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The death toll increased after more bodies were discovered on the outskirts of the town. The attack, which occurred overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday, saw ADF fighters reportedly divided into three groups, targeting the Matete, Kithoho, and Mamuli neighborhoods. During the raid, homes and motorcycles were set on fire. Over the past three days, the ADF has been responsible for the deaths of more than 40 people in Mbau and the wider Beni territory, with several civilians also abducted and held captive. The ongoing violence exacerbates the security crisis in DR Congo, which is also grappling with a worsening public health emergency, including over 1,000 suspected Ebola cases and 246 probable deaths since May 15.