Congo: IS-linked militants kill 33, force Ebola patients to flee
What's the story
At least 33 civilians were killed in an attack by Islamic State-linked militants on a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo. The incident took place late Thursday night in Cantine-Aloya, North Kivu province, around 50km west of Beni. The assailants also set ablaze a health post and several houses, forcing confirmed and suspected Ebola patients to flee, officials stated.
Perpetrators
Heavy rains hamper army operations and investigations
The attack has been attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group with ties to the Islamic State.
Colonel Charles Omeonga, Beni's territorial administrator, confirmed this to Reuters and said heavy rains have hampered army operations and investigations.
Tchetche Aliamini, a local civil society leader, said 33 bodies were recovered from the site of the attack.
Health crisis
Ebola outbreak in North Kivu hotspot
The attack comes as the Democratic Republic of Congo battles an unprecedented Ebola outbreak. North Kivu is a hotspot, accounting for half of all new infections.
So far, over 10,000 cases and 5,000 deaths have been reported nationwide.
The World Health Organization has also highlighted a deadly cholera epidemic in the country this year, with around 1,800 deaths and nearly 60,000 cases.
Ongoing violence
ADF's history of attacks
The ADF has a history of attacking civilians in the region, with another deadly incident in July 2025 leaving 66 dead.
Justin Paluku, head of a local civil society group, slammed security forces for their failure to protect civilians.
The ongoing violence is complicating efforts to contain both Ebola and cholera outbreaks as conflict and remoteness slow down response times.