At least 64 people were killed in a night attack on the Saint Joseph parish in Ntoyo, North Kivu, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, carried out by the Islamist rebel group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

Victims, gathered for a mourning ceremony, were hacked, shot, or bludgeoned, and some homes were set ablaze.

The ADF, which pledged allegiance to Islamic State’s Central Africa Province in 2019, has a history of brutal attacks targeting Christian communities.

Local authorities have begun burying the dead and increasing security, but violence persists despite the presence of Congolese, Ugandan, and UN forces, the Catholic Herald has reported.

Aid organizations and church leaders have condemned the massacre and called for international intervention to protect civilians and uphold religious freedom.