At least three people were killed in an overnight assault on the village of Idohu in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, in what authorities say was an attack by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group linked to the Islamic State in Central Africa.
The attackers stormed Idohu in Ituri province around 7 p.m. Saturday, opening fire with rifles and attacking homes with machetes before the army intervened, UN-backed Radio Okapi reported.
Local sources said three bodies, including that of a woman, were recovered on Sunday morning in the Walesse Vonkutu chiefdom. Searches continued for several missing residents, raising fears the death toll could climb.
It was the second ADF attack on Idohu this year, following a March raid that left about 10 people dead. The assault also comes days after ADF fighters killed 43 civilians in the town of Komanda, including several Catholic catechumens preparing for confirmation.
Formed in Uganda, the ADF has entrenched itself in eastern Congo in recent years, exploiting the region’s instability to expand operations in Kivu and Ituri provinces. The group has repeatedly targeted civilians and security forces in rural communities, leaving a trail of massacres and displacement.