KINSHASA, July 23 (Xinhua) -- At least 16 people were killed Wednesday in an attack blamed on rebels of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), local media reported Thursday.
The attack targeted the villages of Mandeite and Ndiapanda in Mambasa territory, about 165 km southwest of Bunia, capital of Ituri Province, according to the reports. Local sources said suspected ADF fighters attacked Mandeite at around 1:00 p.m. local time on Wednesday.
The death toll remained provisional, as search operations had been suspended due to the continued presence of armed assailants in the area. Access to the affected villages was also reported to be difficult.
The attack forced many residents to flee to nearby communities and to the city of Beni in the neighboring North Kivu Province. Economic and agricultural activities in the affected villages have come to a halt amid persistent insecurity.
A rapid intervention force of the United Nations peacekeeping mission in the DRC, known as MONUSCO, was deployed to the area on Wednesday evening to support security patrols and help protect civilians, according to the reports.
The ADF, an affiliate of the Islamic State in Central Africa, is a Ugandan rebel group operating in eastern DRC. Its continued activity has prompted joint military operations by Congolese and Ugandan forces since November 2021 to track and neutralize the group. ■