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AT LEAST 21 civilians were killed in an eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) village early this morning in a suspected jihadist attack.
Ricardo Rupande, president of local human rights group Ruenzori Sector Civil Society, said that the attack was believed to have been carried out by fighters from the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).
Masambo village resident Kakule Saanane said that it was “a miracle” he survived the attack.
“We were already in bed when we heard the sound of boots outside and bullets. It was after hearing victims’ cries that we realised it was a rebel raid,” he said.
The pair both counted 21 dead bodies and said the figure was likely to rise.
Congolese military spokesman Antony Mwalushayi said that the army would issue a statement once security assessments of the area were complete.
The ADF was formed in neighbouring Uganda in the mid 1990s and has been held responsible for thousands of deaths since a resurgence in 2013.
Many of its attacks take place at night with civilians targeted in brutal massacres with machetes.
Uganda sent 1,000 soldiers to the DRC as part of joint operations against the Islamist group last December.
