At least 34 people were killed in a brutal attack on a Catholic church in Komanda, Ituri province, by Islamic State-backed Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels, a civil society leader reported Sunday. The assault, which occurred around 1 a.m., left bodies strewn across the church, with volunteers preparing a mass grave within the church compound, said Dieudonne Duranthabo, a local coordinator.

The ADF, armed with guns and machetes, also struck the nearby village of Machongani, killing at least five and abducting several others into the bush, according to Lossa Dhekana, another civil society leader. The fate and number of those kidnapped remain unknown.

The Congolese military confirmed at least 10 deaths in the church attack, while a UN-backed radio station reported 43 fatalities, citing security sources. Video footage circulating online showed burning structures and bodies inside the church, with grieving survivors in shock. The attackers, operating from a stronghold 12 kilometers from Komanda, fled before security forces arrived.

Also Read: UK Firms Gain Easy Access to Indian Markets

Duranthabo condemned the attack, noting the presence of security officials in Komanda, and demanded urgent military intervention as rebels remain nearby. Eastern Congo continues to suffer from relentless violence by groups like the ADF, which pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in 2019, and Rwanda-backed M23 rebels. The ADF, formed in Uganda in the late 1990s and relocated to Congo in 2002, has killed thousands of civilians in recent years, including dozens in Ituri earlier this month.

The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC) face ongoing challenges in curbing these attacks amid escalating regional conflicts.

Also Read: Bihar Deputy CM Samrat Choudhary Threatened with Death