16 civilians killed in new rebel attack in eastern Congo

At least 16 people, including miners, were killed in the latest attack by suspected Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) rebels in a village in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's Ituri province, local authorities said Thursday.

The attack took place Wednesday afternoon in Mandeite village in Mambasa territory, 165 kilometers (about 102 miles) southwest of the provincial capital, Bunia, Janvier Kinyongi, a local official, told reporters in Bunia.

"Many of the victims are gold miners. The death toll is provisional as attacks are still being reported in the vicinity," he said.

The attack came days after suspected ADF members abducted several people in the same area.

The ADF remains a major threat to the civilian population in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

The rebels killed 62 civilians and kidnapped 57 others in June, security monitor Kivu Security Tracker said in a report last week.

The ADF, which has been active in eastern Congo for several years, is affiliated with the ISIS (Daesh) militant group.

Since 2021, Ugandan and Congolese forces have been conducting joint operations against the ADF.

Amnesty International said in a report in May that while the ADF attacks security forces, its primary target in recent years has been civilians -- not only to steal food, medicines and other supplies, but also in retaliation for military operations.