An attack by rebel groups Saturday resulted in the death of at least 27 civilians in the Congolese village of Beu-Manyama, according to the Red Cross and the army. The Kivu Security Tracker (KST) said that the attack was conducted by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

At least 27 civilians were killed in Beu-Manyama village, near #Mamove (#Beni territory, #North#Kivu) this Saturday. The ADF is suspected. #DRC pic.twitter.com/FSYBUSl2Zy

— Baromètre sécuritaire du Kivu (@KivuSecurity) May 28, 2022

“We heard bullets at dawn in the village of Beu Manyama,” army spokesperson Anthony Mualushayi told AFP. “When we arrived, it was already too late because the enemy ADF had already killed more than a dozen of our fellow citizens with machetes.”

The ADF has been accused of being affiliated with the Islamic State terrorist group (IS) and is known for having killed thousands of civilians throughout eastern DRC.

Following the attack, the members of the Congolese soldiers were able to “neutralize seven ADF” members and capture another one, said Mualushayi.

Prior to that attack, Beni has been living in relative calmness for almost a month. Since November the Congolese and Ugandan forces have been conducting joint military operations against the ADF.

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Earlier on Friday, another Red Cross representative said that soldiers in the neighboring province of Ituri had found 17 decapitated bodies, an attack that is likely to have been led by the ADF.

Since May of last year, 2021, the provinces of Ituri and North Kivu have been under an official siege. The army and police have replaced senior administrators in a bid to curtail attacks by armed groups.

Despite these efforts, authorities have been unable to stop the massacres which have become regular against civilians.