Islamic State Claims Deadly Wave of Attacks on Christians in DR Congo

Busiyo, Ituri, MONUSCO Photos, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 | Jihad Watch

Islamic State terrorists have claimed responsibility for a series of attacks across Ituri Province in northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), reportedly killing at least 130 Christians over a three-week period.

The deadliest attack took place on August 9, when fighters from the Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP) launched a coordinated assault on three neighbouring villages in Mambasa Territory. The attack killed 32 Christians and resulted in the capture of 24 others. Islamic State propaganda described the assault as a “bloody attack,” while reports said more than 60 homes and shops were also set ablaze.

Earlier, on July 31, ISCAP fighters reportedly killed 17 Christians and abducted two others in the village of Monguiko. This came after separate attacks on July 20 and 24 in which 35 Christians were killed, including at least 25 who were reportedly beheaded.

The violence continued on August 6, when terrorists attacked a group travelling by river boat near Biondo. Five Christians, whom IS propaganda referred to as “combatants,” were reportedly killed with machine guns after the attackers sank the boat.

Islamic State propaganda uses the term “combatants” broadly for Christians and Jews who have neither converted to Islam nor paid the jizya tax demanded under its interpretation of Islamic rule. The latest wave of violence highlights the continuing threat posed by ISCAP and other armed extremist groups operating in eastern DRC.

(This Article was originally published by Jihad Watch)