Daijiworld Media Network - Komanda

Komanda, DRC, Jul 28: At least 38 people were brutally killed in the early hours of Sunday when Islamic State-backed ADF rebels stormed a church during a night mass in the northeastern city of Komanda in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), local officials confirmed.

Armed with guns and machetes, the attackers targeted worshippers attending overnight prayers at a Catholic church, leaving 15 others injured and several still missing, according to Jean Kato, a local city official.

Human rights activist Christophe Munyanderu, who was present in Komanda, said the community was initially unaware of the scale of the attack. “People thought the gunshots were from thieves,” he said. “But by the time we realized what was happening, dozens had already been killed — many with machetes, some shot.”

The assault is believed to have been carried out by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a rebel group linked to the Islamic State’s Central Africa Province (ISCAP), which has been responsible for a string of deadly attacks in the volatile Ituri and North Kivu provinces.

The United Nations Organisation Stabilisation Mission in the DRC (MONUSCO) strongly condemned the violence, calling it a “cowardly and barbaric act against innocent civilians” and expressing concern over the growing frequency of such attacks in the region.

This latest massacre adds to a grim toll of civilian deaths in eastern Congo, where armed groups have long exploited the region’s instability. Despite government crackdowns and international support, security remains fragile.

Local authorities have launched a search for the missing and are working to provide aid to survivors. The attack underscores the urgent need for stronger protection measures for vulnerable communities across eastern DRC.