Islamic terror group kills 17 Christians in Congo, many still missing

ITURI PROVINCE, Congo (LifeSiteNews) — Another attack by an Islamic terror group on villages in the Democratic Republic of the Congo has left at least 17 Christians dead and many others missing.

International Christian Concern (ICC) reports that the ISIS-linked Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) attacked the village of Alima in Mambasa territory before moving on to “set fire to several places, including Manyama and the surrounding area,” local civil society leader Peresi Mamboro said, noting that the current death-toll estimate “is still provisional because the enemy continues to move freely in the region…. We call on the population to stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity.”

“After the attack, the assailants divided into two groups,” added local human rights advocate Zephani Kataliko. “One headed east, passing Alima, while the other moved west toward Babila Babombi via Alima Stadium Avenue.”

The attack compounds the regional strife already brewing by ongoing ADF terrorism as well as an Ebola outbreak that has risen to 82 confirmed cases and seven confirmed deaths so far, according to the World Health Organization, though the true numbers are suspected to be “much larger.” Anger boiled over this week into locals burning down a treatment center in Rwampara over its refusal to release a potentially still contagious body for burial.

ICC points out that one threat makes it much harder to evade the other, as “Families escaping gunfire cannot isolate, displaced villagers cannot avoid crowds, and those hiding in the forest have no access to clean water or early treatment, creating conditions that fuel both insecurity and disease.”

According to Global Christian Relief’s 2025 Red List report, the Congo is the second “deadliest country for Christians,” behind only Nigeria. The report emphasized that “390 Christians were recorded as killed” during the reporting period from November 2022 to 2024 and specifically singled out “Islamic militant groups like the Allied Democratic Forces” as the “main killers.”

Meanwhile, a LifeFunder is currently underway to support the Angelic Sisters of St. Paul, who are among some six million Congolese who have been displaced by violence in the region. Please consider donating to help them not only survive but continue helping the war-ravaged poor.