At least 33 killed in eastern DR Congo attack attributed to Islamic State-linked militants

At least 33 people were killed in an attack on a village in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, according to figures reported on Friday, 6 November 2026. The attack has been attributed to Islamic State-linked militants.

According to The Hindu, the attack took place overnight in the village of Cantine, in North Kivu province. Homes were burned and looted, and the violence forced villagers to flee to other parts of the province, The Hindu reported.

Reuters cited authorities as saying that militants raided a village in eastern Congo, killing at least 33 civilians. The authorities said patients with confirmed and suspected Ebola infections were forced to flee. The Reuters summary does not name the village or the authorities. Its details closely match the account of the attack on Cantine, but the reports do not explicitly establish that it refers to the same village.

North Kivu is one of the epicentres of an Ebola outbreak caused by the rare Bundibugyo virus, according to The Hindu. The newspaper describes the outbreak as the fastest-spreading in history. It reports that more than 5,000 people have died and that continuing violence has hampered the response.

Background

The Hindu reports that the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) has roots in Uganda and pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group in 2019. It says the group has long operated in the border region and routinely attacks civilians. In July 2025, the ADF killed 66 people in eastern Congo, in an attack the United Nations described as a "bloodbath", according to The Hindu.

The newspaper also reports that roughly 100 other rebel groups operate in Congo. The most prominent is M23, which The Hindu describes as Rwanda-backed and as having seized key cities in the east.

What each side says

Justin Paluku, head of a local civil society group, told The Associated Press that the ADF was responsible for the attack on Cantine.

"So far, we have counted 33 bodies and more than 50 houses set on fire, along with various other forms of material destruction," The Hindu quoted Paluku as saying.

Paluku also criticised the security response. "This represents a major security failure. Given the number of loyalist and security forces deployed in this area, it is incomprehensible how the enemy managed to bypass their defences to kill civilians and inflict such significant material and human casualties," The Hindu quoted him as saying.

What the reports do not say

The reports do not include a claim of responsibility or any response from the ADF or the Islamic State group. They do not include a response from Congolese security forces to Paluku's criticism.

The reports do not say how many Ebola patients fled, where they went or what care they left. They do not describe the risk of onward transmission or any measures to trace those patients.

The reports also do not say how many villagers were displaced, or whether anyone was wounded, abducted or missing. Paluku's count is a tally so far, and the reports do not say whether the death toll is final.

Analysis

The attack, as reported, links two separate crises: armed violence and a major Ebola outbreak. If the Ebola patients cited by Reuters did flee from this attack, health workers could face added difficulty tracking and treating them, though the reports do not describe any such risk or response. Paluku's criticism raises questions about how civilians are protected in areas where security forces are deployed. Those questions remain open without a response from the forces concerned. Attribution of the attack, the final death toll and the wider health consequences could all become clearer as further information emerges.

Produced by the Vocemundi newsroom with AI assistance.