Extremist rebels linked to IS kill at least 9 and kidnap 3 in eastern Congo

KINSHASA, Congo -- Extremist rebels linked to the Islamic State group killed at least 9 people, including an 8-month-old baby and a 14-year-old girl in eastern Congo and kidnapped several others, authorities said on Wednesday.

Rebels with the Allied Democratic Forces attacked civilians in Tenambo village in the North Kivu province on Tuesday evening, Colonel Mak Hazukay, spokesperson for the Congolese army said in a statement, calling on residents to remain vigilant and temporarily avoid isolated places.

The militants also set fire to houses in the village and kidnapped three people, the deputy mayor of Oicha, Jean De Die Kambale Kibwana, told local media.

Eastern Congo has struggled with armed violence for decades as more than 120 groups fight for power, land and valuable mineral resources, while others try to defend their communities. Some armed groups have been accused of mass killings.

In recent years, ADF attacks have intensified and spread towards Goma, eastern Congo’s main city, as well as neighboring Ituri province.

Rights groups and the United Nations have accused the ADF of killing hundreds of people and abducting even more, including a significant number of children.

In a report published last month, the United Nations Joint Human Rights Office listed the ADF among armed groups that are wreaking havoc in eastern Congo, and called for the prosecution of those responsible for serious human rights violations.