Democratic Republic of the Congo: Fourteen Christians Beheaded in Two Separate Jihadist Attacks

Makilimbo, Haut Uele, DR Congo, MONUSCO Photos, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 | Jihad Watch

Fourteen Christians were beheaded in two separate attacks in the north-eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) as the Islamist insurgency continues to expand into new areas.

The Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) claimed responsibility for the killing of six Christians on June 3, followed by the murder of another eight on June 24.

Both attacks occurred in the village of Mungbere in Watsa Territory, Haut-Uélé Province, marking what appears to be the first known instance of ISCAP specifically targeting Christians in Haut-Uélé.

Security analysts believe the group's expansion into Haut-Uélé has been driven by sustained counter-terrorism operations in its traditional strongholds farther south, forcing militants to seek new areas of operation.

The movement northward may also reflect an effort to avoid the Ebola-affected provinces of Ituri and North Kivu. While Ituri has recorded 1,020 of the 1,118 confirmed Ebola cases across north-eastern DRC, no confirmed infections have been reported in Haut-Uélé.

Earlier in June, ISCAP militants also set fire to 80 homes belonging to Christian families during separate attacks in other parts of Haut-Uélé Province.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)