7 civilians killed, several missing in rebel attack in DR Congo

At least seven civilians were killed in a weekend attack by suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels in a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a local official said on Sunday.

The attack took place in the Mambasa territory of Ituri province on Saturday, according to Alberic Kahundirwa, a local official.

"The death toll remains provisional because several people are missing. But the attackers also set fire to about 20 houses," Kahundirwa told reporters.

The latest attack came a week after separate other attacks in various villages in the same territory left 16 people were killed and several others abducted.

The ADF is affiliated with the ISIS (Daesh) and has been active in eastern Congo for several years.

The rebel group is accused of killing more than 1,000 civilians in Congo in 2025, and remains among the most dangerous armed groups in the eastern part of the country, according to a report of UN experts in July.

Noting that the ADF maintained ideological ties and communications with Daesh, the UN experts said systematic and large-scale attacks against the civilian population took the form of killings, abductions and sexual violence, particularly affecting women and children.