Rebels linked to the Islamic State killed at least 89 civilians in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, the government said, citing coordinated ADF attacks on the villages of Ntoyo, Fotodu and Avey in North Kivu. A separate strike on a funeral in Ntoyo accounted for the bulk of the dead, according to local officials. Kinshasa said forces “will continue military operations and the hunt for the terrorists,” as joint Congolese-Ugandan operations face renewed violence from the group.

What Happened and Where

Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya announced the death toll late Tuesday, naming Ntoyo, Fotodu and Avey as the targeted communities and noting additional wounded and missing. The statement pledged ongoing pursuit operations after earlier raids “neutralized many” fighters and destroyed bases.

Local administrators and security sources said the deadliest incident unfolded at a mourning ceremony in Ntoyo, where attackers forced residents together before killing them, many with machetes. Early counts from the area described at least 60–61 fatalities, with bodies later recovered in surrounding Beni territory.

Operation Shujaa and the Security Picture

Congo and Uganda have been conducting joint operations against the ADF since late 2021 under Operation Shujaa. The mandate was extended to September 2025, reflecting officials’ view that the group’s dispersed cells still pose a threat despite prior battlefield losses. Ugandan and Congolese authorities reported recent firefights with ADF units in Ituri and North Kivu.

The wider conflict in the east—particularly clashes with the Rwanda-backed M23—has stretched Congolese forces, creating openings for ADF raids on civilians, according to recent U.N. and humanitarian reporting.

Civilian Toll and Rights Concerns

U.N. reporting last month counted at least 185 people killed by the ADF since early July, alongside mass displacement and kidnappings in Ituri and North Kivu. In late July, the U.N. mission condemned another ADF attack that killed dozens in Komanda, underscoring the group’s pattern of targeting villages, worship sites and public gatherings.

Rights groups also warned that overlapping crises—M23 advances, local militia mobilization and ongoing ADF violence—have compounded risks to civilians, with documented atrocities that may amount to war crimes.

Official Response and Next Steps

Kinshasa said security forces would intensify operations to locate remaining assailants and free hostages. “Military operations and the hunt for the terrorists” will continue, the government statement said, as authorities work to secure the affected communities and update casualty figures as identification progresses.