Suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels stormed the Blessed Anuarite Catholic Church in Komanda, northeastern DR Congo, during Saturday evening prayers, killing at least 35 worshippers and ending months of relative peace in Ituri province. The attack occurred around 9 p.m. local time, with witnesses reporting heavy gunfire as militants targeted a gathering of the Eucharistic Crusade youth movement. Local elder Dieudonne Katanabo confirmed the immediate discovery of 35 bodies, while the parish priest, Father Aime Lokana Dhego, detailed that 31 victims belonged to the youth group.
The assault deliberately focused on young worshippers, leaving six critically injured and an unknown number kidnapped. Father Dhego stated, "Some young people were abducted, we have no news of them," underscoring the attack’s brutality. Hours later, seven additional bodies were found in the town, bringing provisional death tolls to 38 according to human rights groups. Christophe Munyanderu of the Convention for the Respect of Human Rights condemned the massacre as a "devastating blow to innocent civilians".
The ADF, Ugandan-origin rebels who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State in 2019 have intensified attacks despite a joint Ugandan-Congolese military operation ("Operation Shujaa") launched in 2021. Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, Ituri army spokesman, confirmed ADF responsibility for the church raid, though official casualty counts were withheld. This marks the deadliest attack since February, when ADF fighters killed 23 in Mambasa territory.
Komanda’s significance as a commercial hub linking Tshopo, North Kivu, and Maniema provinces made it vulnerable. Despite Operation Shujaa’s aim to dismantle the ADF, the group continues to exploit security gaps, killing thousands and looting communities across northeastern Congo. The massacre highlights the collapse of a months-long calm period and exposes the ineffectiveness of current counterinsurgency strategies.