Death toll from two Islamic State-affiliated rebel attacks in Congo rises to 89

A colums of military vehicles transporting soldiers of the Democratic Republic of Congo Armed Forces is seen in Ntoyo, on September 10, 2025. Fighters linked to the Islamic State group killed 71 people in an overnight attack in the Democratic Republic of Congo's east, local and security sources said on September 9, 2025. The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group founded by former Ugandan rebels who pledged allegiance to IS in 2019, struck the village of Ntoyo in North Kivu province while residents were attending a funeral, the sources said. (Photo by Seros MUYISA / AFP)

Web desk

Published on Sep 10, 2025, 07:16 PM | 1 min read

Kinshasa (Congo): The death toll from two attacks on civilians in eastern Congo by an Islamic State- affiliated rebel group has risen to 89, Congolese authorities said.

Officials reported that 71 people were killed at a funeral in Nyoto on Monday, while 18 others were killed in a separate attack in Beni on Tuesday. Both incidents occurred in the North Kivu region.

The attacks, carried out by the Allied Democratic Force (ADF), are the latest in a series of mass assaults on civilians in this conflict-prone area.

The region has been plagued by complex conflicts, including escalating attacks by the ADF, which operates along the Congo-Uganda border. The group pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in 2019 and has recently intensified large-scale attacks on civilians.

In a statement, the government said it has supported "the North Kivu Provincial Government in managing the humanitarian consequences of these terrorist acts."

"It remains resolutely committed to continuing military operations and the hunt for terrorists, which have already led to the neutralisation of several militants, the destruction of their bases, and the release of civilian hostages," the statement added.