At least 38 people have been killed and 15 others wounded in an attack on a Catholic church in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The assault took place during a prayer vigil in Komanda city, Ituri province, and is being blamed on the Allied Democratic Forces, or ADF.
Eyewitnesses say the attackers, armed with machetes and guns, stormed the church early on Sunday, killing worshippers inside and outside the building. Several houses and shops were also set ablaze, and some residents remain missing.
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Radio Okapi reports the death toll could be as high as 43, with many victims hacked to death. A civil society leader confirmed that charred bodies were found in the aftermath, describing the scene as devastating.
The ADF, an Islamist group linked to ISIL, has a long history of targeting civilians in the DRC. Formed in Uganda in the 1990s, it has carried out repeated attacks in Ituri and North Kivu provinces. The UN has condemned the latest violence, calling it part of a disturbing trend in the region.
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