Eight killed by ADF on Sunday evening

 The Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) terrorist group conducted a Sunday night attack in Kasindi, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), leaving eight dead, 12 injured and many others missing.  

Christians in Kasindi called an International Christian Concern (ICC) staffer asking for prayers around 10, p.m., as the terror group aligned with the Islamic State (IS) invaded the town. 

“Please know that the ADF has invaded the Western side of the town of Kasindi and Christians are being killed as we speak,” said a villager. “People have been alerted, and they are fleeing the area. The attackers are using hammers and machetes to avoid being heard if they use guns. We are asking for your prayers since this attack can turn out to be a mass massacre of believers if it is not stopped.” 

Security officers battled the rebels throughout the night in this border town between Uganda and the war-torn DRC.  

“The number of those killed stands at eight, and several others are in critical condition following last night’s attack,” a source confirmed from the mortuary. “There are missing people that we suspect have been abducted by the rebels. Hundreds have also fled and crossed into Uganda as other families return to look for their loved ones. Several houses were also burnt down. The security officers took a long time to repulse the ensuing terrorists and before they could arrive at the area, killings had already been done, and houses were on fire. 

“The situation is still fluid as the security agencies try to assess the extent of the attack. One of the deceased was a Kenyan driver who was shot dead while driving away just outside a hotel.” 

This attack comes five months after 15 Christians were killed and dozens injured when the rebel group detonated an improvised explosive device at a church in Kasindi while hundreds of believers gathered for a service.  

One church leader has expressed his concerns about the deteriorating security situation in Kasindi, a town known to host millions of Congolese displaced people.  

“We are pained that the only safe place where millions of victims flee to for shelter has become a target by the ADF rebels,” said the church leader. “Kasindi used to be a home for all the displaced Christians in Nord Kivu, and also others from as far as Ituri. The enemy is now coming for us. Where shall we run to? We are asking the government to protect us from these killers that have continued to target Christians for over three decades. And above all, we ask that you keep us in prayer as the Congolese believers bear this brunt of this fresh attack.”

In the past four weeks, the Kasindi area has lost 26 people in five deadly attacks all attributed to the Allied Democratic Forces. On May 11, three people were killed at the Semuliki crossing point, four kilometers from Kasindi town. On May 12, seven, people were injured when the ADF rebels launched a night assault in Katongo farming fields three kilometers from Kasindi. On May 14, a driver was killed and his truck was set on fire as he made his way to Kasindi near Kalindumbu. On June 8-9, ten civilians were killed in the village of Bukokoma, and 12 others were killed in Mutwanga, both neighboring Kasindi. 

The ADF was listed as one of the worst terrorist groups in ICC's comprehensive 2022 Persecutor of the Year annual report. The ADF was formed in 1995 in eastern DRC to overthrow the Ugandan government. After decades of violent extremism, the terror group affiliated itself with Islamic State in 2019. Years of local and international attempts to uproot the ADF have seen short-term success, but the group has repeatedly regenerated in the face of withering losses. 

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