The death toll has risen to 41 following an attack on Friday, June 7, by suspected rebels on villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a Congolese army spokesman said, bringing the total toll in the region to more than 80 since Tuesday.
Friday’s attack, on the villages of Masala, Mapasana and Mahini, had been carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), said lieutenant-colonel Mak Hazukay, an army spokesman in Congo’s North Kivu province.
The ADF which is now based in eastern Congo, has pledged allegiance to Islamic State and mounts frequent attacks, further destabilising a region where many militant groups are active.
It originates from neighbouring Uganda and is alleged to be behind multiple assaults in the area over the past week, including one in the village of Masawu that killed 17 people, two civil society leaders said.
During the attacks on Friday, armed men used guns and machetes to attack residents of the villages in Beni territory, local official Fabien Kakule told Reuters.
