At least 25 killed in attack by Islamic State-backed group in eastern Congo

An attack by an Islamic State-linked militant group in eastern Congo killed at least 25 people early Sunday (January 25, 2026), a rights group based in Ituri province said.

The dead from the attack by the Allied Democratic Force, or ADF, include 15 men who were burned alive in a house and seven who were shot in the village of Apakulu in the Irumu territory of Ituri province. Three others were killed in Walese Vonkutu administrative area.

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“This tragedy occurred around 4 a.m. and claimed the lives of at least 25 people. This incursion by the ADF is a true massacre,” Christophe Munyanderu, president of the Convention for the Respect of Human Rights, said.

There was no immediate statement from the ADF.