Armed fighters believed to be associated with an ISIS-affiliated militant organization conducted a raid on villages in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, resulting in significant casualties and destruction, according to local authorities and civil society organizations.
The overnight assault targeted Cantine, located approximately 50 kilometers west of Beni in North Kivu province. Combatants with the Allied Democratic Forces, a group with roots in Uganda that pledged allegiance to ISIS in 2019, set fire to multiple structures including a health facility and residential buildings. Local administrators attributed the attack to the ADF, with civil society leaders confirming at least 33 fatalities. Victims sustained various injuries including gunshot wounds, burns, and wounds from machetes. Witnesses reported that gunfire erupted within 50 meters of a hospital facility.
The violence displaced residents throughout the province and forced approximately 180 patients to evacuate from a local hospital, including individuals with suspected and confirmed Ebola infections. Medical officials expressed concern that the dispersal of high-risk contacts and probable cases into surrounding areas could accelerate disease transmission and trigger additional outbreaks. The region is currently experiencing the fastest-spreading Ebola outbreak on record, with North Kivu accounting for nearly half of all new infections in the DRC’s Bundibugyo outbreak.
The attack occurred as the DRC continues battling widespread disease transmission. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention has documented more than 10,000 cases and 5,300 deaths from Ebola across the country. North Kivu was the epicenter of three previous outbreaks, including a major one spanning 2018-2020. Additional security challenges persist in the region, with approximately 100 armed groups operating in the DRC, alongside the ADF’s ongoing activities.
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