Islamic State-Linked Militants Kill 71 in Brutal Funeral Massacre in Eastern Congo
At least 71 people have been killed in a brutal overnight attack on a funeral gathering in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to local and security sources.
The massacre took place in the village of Ntoyo, in North Kivu province, where fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) — a militia aligned with the Islamic State (IS) — launched a surprise assault while villagers were mourning the dead.
“Most of the people who were killed were at a funeral,” said Samuel Kagheni, a local civil society leader. “Some were burnt alive in their homes, and others were shot while trying to flee.”
Local official Macaire Sivikunula confirmed the death toll, adding that 14 homes were set ablaze during the attack.
The ADF, originally a Ugandan rebel group, pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2019 and has since become one of the most deadly armed groups operating in the DRC’s volatile northeast. The group is accused of carrying out dozens of massacres across North Kivu and Ituri provinces, often targeting civilians in villages and remote communities.
According to an AFP tally, ADF-linked attacks have claimed over 150 civilian lives since July, reversing a brief period of relative calm in the region.
The Congolese and Ugandan armies have deployed troops in joint operations against the ADF, but the group’s tactics — including hit-and-run assaults, mass killings, and village burnings — have made it difficult to contain.
Despite military efforts, the group continues to terrorize communities and hinder humanitarian access in parts of North Kivu and Ituri.
Tuesday’s funeral attack is among the deadliest incidents this year, and comes as rights groups call for greater international attention on the escalating crisis in eastern Congo.
