At least 25 killed in eastern Congo attack blamed on Islamic State-linked ADF, rights group says

Deadly raid reported in Ituri

A human rights organization in Congo’s Ituri province says at least 25 people were killed in an early-morning attack attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), an armed group that authorities and analysts have described as aligned with the Islamic State. The group’s president said the assault struck around 4 a.m. in the village of Apakulu in Irumu territory, calling it a “true massacre” based on initial information gathered from the area.

How the killings were described

According to the rights group, multiple victims were burned alive inside a house, while others were shot. Additional deaths were also reported in a nearby administrative area. The attack underscores the persistent insecurity facing civilians in eastern Congo, where communities often live with the threat of sudden raids, displacement, and retaliatory cycles that overwhelm local protection capacities.

A broader security crisis

The ADF emerged from earlier rebel dynamics tied to Uganda and later entrenched itself in Congo’s border regions, where dense terrain and weak governance have allowed armed groups to operate. Joint military efforts by Uganda and Congo have targeted ADF positions, but violence has continued. The region’s instability is compounded by other armed actors, including the M23 rebellion, which Congo has accused Rwanda of backing—an accusation that Rwanda has historically rejected.

Why it matters: mass-casualty attacks deepen humanitarian needs, strain already limited medical and security resources, and complicate regional diplomacy. The latest deaths are likely to intensify calls for protection of civilians, clearer accountability for armed groups’ financing and support networks, and sustained international attention as multiple conflicts overlap across eastern Congo.