ISIS kills dozens of Christians in DRC; churches close after latest attacks

The Christian Post reports: “The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for killing dozens of people in a series of violent attacks lasting multiple days in several villages in the Democratic Republic of Congo, with at least 80 Christians reportedly among the dead, military and local sources say. 

The series of attacks saw one of its deadliest days on June 7, when suspected militants from the Islamic State-affiliated Allied Democratic Forces launched coordinated assaults on several villages in the Beni territory of the Christian-majority North Kivu province.

On Friday, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack that killed over 40 people in the village of Mayikengo in Lubero territory earlier in the week. Citing figures from local authorities, Agence France-Presse reports that nearly 150 people have been killed since the beginning of June by the Allied Democratic Forces. 

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Open Doors, a watchdog organization monitoring the persecution of Christians in over 60 countries, responded to the attacks in a statement shared with The Christian Post, saying that of those killed, at least 80 were Christians. While ADF attacks in DRC are not new, Open Doors reports that the recent violence is ‘comparatively deadlier’ and particularly more ‘aggressive in targeting Christians’ than in previous years…”

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