AFRICA.Democratic Republic of Congo: 22 fighters of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) including 10 civilians lost their lives during clashes in the north-eastern part of the Democratic Republic(DR) of Congo in the past three days, Lieutenant Jules Ngongo, the army spokesman of Ituri, said.
While giving the casualty figures on the side of the assailants and civilians, the force’s spokesman declined comments about the number of casualties on the military side.
“Within one week of offensives, the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (FARDC) neutralised 22 ADF terrorists and are continuing with mopping-up operations,” Lt. Jules Ngongo said.
Further, he said, “The armed forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo are in control of the operational security situation in Ndimo, Monge, Otmaber and Esperanza.”
Corroborating Ngongo’s account, Dieudonne Malangay, a leader of the civil society in the Walesa Vonkutu chiefdom, said: “We have discovered eight corpses of civilians killed by the ADF, with one burnt in his house after an attack carried out by these rebels on Sunday in Ndimo area of Ituri.”
The civil society leader further said another two civilians were killed on Saturday in the neighbouring locality of Otmaber by ADF fighters. During the Saturday attack, they set alight two vehicles. Similarly, 10 houses were also burnt down during the invasion.
Being an offshoot of the Islamic State operating in central Africa, ADF has murderous records of killing scores of civilians in DR Congo and Uganda.
This had triggered numerous joint counter-terrorism offensives by military personnel in DR Congo and Uganda armies. Since November 30, 2021, the joint operation, as per findings, had resulted in neutralizing ADF rebels in Ituri and North Kivu provinces which have been under continuous invasion since May 6, 2021.
Despite the killings, the rebels often recess to strike harder. This had surged the volume of mindless killings and violent scenes in Ituri and North Kivu.
In another development, three men of the ADF and one soldier lost their lives yesterday evening during a coordinated attack in Semiliki, an outskirt of Uganda bordering DR Congo.
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