Islamic State-linked rebels killed at least 13 people and kidnapped several others in eastern Congo during a Friday night raid that included looting and burning homes, local authorities reported Saturday.
The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group with ties to the Islamic State, carried out the attack in Mabisio village, North Kivu province, according to Col. Alain Kiwewa, the area’s administrator, speaking on state television. The victims included women, and attackers destroyed multiple homes during the assault.
The violence marks the latest in a series of ADF attacks that have intensified and spread toward Goma, eastern Congo’s main city, as well as into neighboring Ituri province. In August, the group killed at least 12 people in several North Kivu villages.
The United Nations and human rights organizations have accused the ADF of killing hundreds and abducting many more, including significant numbers of children. The attacks come amid broader regional instability, with more than 120 armed groups fighting for control of territory, mineral resources, and local power in eastern Congo.
The decades-long conflict has created one of Africa’s most persistent humanitarian crises, with armed groups repeatedly accused of conducting mass killings of civilian populations. The ADF’s expansion and increasing ties to the Islamic State have added an international dimension to what was already a complex regional security challenge.
