Overview

• Attackers armed with machetes and knives stormed a Catholic church vigil in Komanda around 2 AM, stabbing worshippers and setting nearby homes and shops ablaze.
• Authorities and UN-backed radio sources report at least 43 civilians killed, with bodies discovered inside the church and in charred buildings across the town.
• Militants from the Allied Democratic Forces, an ISIS-linked group, escaped before Congolese security forces arrived, prompting residents to abandon the area in panic.
• The assault ends months of relative calm that had allowed many displaced people to return home, reviving fears of fresh humanitarian displacement.
• Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani condemned the killings on social media and urged stronger protection for places of worship and religious freedom.