Islamic State-backed rebels killed at least 43 people during an attack on a Catholic church in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo on July 27, 2025, according to multiple reports from civil society leaders and security sources.
The attack occurred around 1 a.m. at a Catholic church in Komanda, located in the Ituri province of eastern Congo. Members of the Allied Democratic Force (ADF) armed with guns and machetes stormed the church premises during a night mass, targeting worshippers who had gathered for the religious service.
Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, said, “More than 21 people were shot dead inside and outside.” He reported that at least three charred bodies were discovered and several houses were burned, with search operations continuing at the scene.
The death toll varied across different reports. While Duranthabo initially confirmed more than 21 fatalities, other officials reported higher numbers. A United Nations-backed radio station cited security sources reporting 43 deaths, while local media suggested the total could exceed 40. The victims included 19 men, 15 women and nine children, according to confirmed reports.
Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, spokesperson for the Congolese army in Ituri province, confirmed 10 deaths in the church attack. Military officials described the incident as involving armed men with machetes who massacred worshippers and set fire to nearby shops before fleeing the area.
The attackers also struck the nearby village of Machongani earlier that evening, killing at least five additional people. Lossa Dhekana, a civil society leader in Ituri, reported that several people were taken into the bush during this attack, with their destination and numbers unknown.
The ADF was identified as responsible for both attacks. The group reportedly came from a stronghold approximately 12 kilometers from the center of Komanda and had fled before security forces could arrive at the scene.
Video footage from the scene showed burning structures and bodies on the church floor. Witnesses who could identify victims were seen wailing while others stood in shock at the devastation. Several houses and shops in the area were also burned during the assault.
Duranthabo condemned the violence, expressing disappointment that such an attack could occur in a town where security officials were present. He demanded immediate military intervention, warning that the attackers remained near the town.
The ADF emerged in Uganda during the late 1990s, formed by various groups expressing discontent with President Yoweri Museveni’s government. Following military assaults by Ugandan forces in 2002, the group relocated its operations to neighboring Congo and has since been responsible for killing thousands of civilians.
In 2019, the ADF pledged allegiance to the Islamic State and has maintained ties with the terrorist organization. The group operates in the borderland between Uganda and Congo, routinely conducting attacks against civilian populations.
Earlier in July 2025, the ADF killed dozens of people in Ituri province in what a United Nations spokesperson described as a bloodbath. The group’s leadership seeks to establish an Islamist government in the East African region.
Eastern Congo has endured deadly attacks by various armed groups for decades, with conflicts dating back to the Rwanda genocide in 1994. The region currently faces attacks from more than 100 armed groups, according to the United Nations, including the Rwanda-backed M23 rebel movement.
The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo have struggled to contain the ADF, particularly while dealing with renewed hostilities involving the M23 rebel movement. Joint military operations between Congolese and Ugandan forces have had limited success in protecting civilians from ADF attacks.
Komanda is located in Ituri province, a mineral-rich area that has experienced ongoing conflict. The attack has prompted concerns about the worsening humanitarian situation in the region, with approximately seven million people displaced throughout Congo’s population of 106 million.
The Congolese government condemned the church attack as horrific, while military officials described it as a large-scale massacre carried out in revenge for recent security operations targeting the ADF. The United Nations peacekeeping mission warned that the killings would exacerbate the already critical humanitarian situation in the province.
Bodies of the victims remained at the scene while volunteers prepared for a mass burial in the Catholic church compound. All activities in Komanda were suspended following the attack as security forces, including the Congolese Armed Forces, the Ugandan military and local police, searched for the attackers.