More than 40 people were killed in an attack on a Catholic church in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo by Islamic State-backed rebels, the Associated Press reported online, citing local media. The Congolese army confirmed at least 10 deaths, while a civil society leader reported at least 21 fatalities.
The assault is believed to have been carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), armed with machetes. They stormed the church in the town of Komanda, Ituri province, around 1 a.m. Several nearby homes and shops were set ablaze.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani condemned the attack on social media platform X. “I express the strongest condemnation for the attack on a church in Komanda, in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where a terrorist group linked to ISIS killed more than 40 civilians,” Tajani wrote. “Places of worship must always be preserved and religious freedom protected. Italy stands with the families of the victims and the Congolese people.”