The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for a series of deadly raids on three villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ituri province, saying its fighters killed 32 “Christians” and captured 24 others.
In a statement issued on August 10 via its Telegram channels under the name of its Central Africa branch (ISCAP), IS said militants attacked the villages of Barana, Banana and Banana‑Ecole on August 9. The group claimed its fighters killed 32 people it identified as Christians, took 24 prisoners, and that the remaining villagers fled.
IS also said more than 60 houses and a shop were burned, along with two vehicles and three motorcycles, and that looted belongings were seized before the attackers withdrew.
The latest claimed massacre fits a wider pattern of IS‑linked violence against Christian communities in Ituri and North Kivu. In July 2025, dozens were killed when militants stormed a Catholic church during a night vigil in Komanda, Ituri, in an attack also blamed on the ADF.
Earlier in August 2025, UN officials said at least 52 people were killed in a flurry of ADF attacks in Beni and Lubero territories. IS propaganda has repeatedly framed these operations as part of a campaign against Christians, sometimes claiming it offers victims the choice to convert to Islam, pay a “jizya” tax, or be killed.
Activists and community leaders have criticised Congolese authorities for failing to act on repeated warnings about ADF movements in the area. Despite a long‑running joint operation with the Ugandan army aimed at eradicating the group, the ADF continues to carry out frequent deadly raids on villages in Ituri and North Kivu.
