In brief
A suspected ADF attack in Cantine, North Kivu, DRC has killed at least 30 people, including civilians, security personnel and civil society members; some hostages were reportedly taken by the rebels. Xinhua and News.az report differing figures, with the latter previously noting a death toll of 24 and at least 10 civilians killed.
At least 30 people were killed in a suspected attack by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) on Cantine, a locality in Beni territory of North Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo, according to Xinhua. The assault unfolded overnight Thursday into Friday, with armed assailants killing residents and setting fire to several houses.
Security sources in Beni said that reinforcements were deployed to the area and that a search operation was underway to locate more victims after the rebels reportedly withdrew with several hostages. The incident follows a surge of ADF attacks across North Kivu and Ituri, prompting joint military operations by Congolese and Ugandan forces since November 2021 to track down and neutralize the group.
News.az, in an earlier report, noted that the death toll from the same incident had risen to 24. That outlet’s coverage also mentioned that at least 10 civilians were killed in the assault. Xinhua therefore presents a higher figure—at least 30 in total, including civilians, security personnel and civil society members—while News.az presents a lower tally.
The ADF, an affiliate of the Islamic State with roots in Uganda, has intensified attacks in eastern DRC in recent months, targeting civilians in several localities. Joint Congolese–Ugandan military efforts continue to pursue the rebels in the region.
