Islamist Militants Kill 49 Christians, Including Children in Brutal Congo Church Massacre [WATCH]

At least 49 Christians were killed on Sunday in a massacre carried out by Islamist extremists during a church gathering in the village of Komanda in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to firsthand accounts provided to Fox News Digital.

Among the victims were nine children who were beheaded. Several other children were abducted.

The attackers were identified as members of the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a Ugandan-rooted Islamist terrorist group aligned with the Islamic State and sanctioned by international bodies.

Horrifying massacre in a Christian Church

Islamist terrorists kill 49 Christians in African church massacre; eyewitness reveals horrific details https://t.co/9pJ3TNIxN3 #FoxNews

— LadyD (@LadyD66158293) July 31, 2025

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The victims had gathered from surrounding villages to attend a Silver Jubilee prayer service and pray for peace in the conflict-ridden region.

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Local eyewitnesses, including a shopkeeper who escaped detection, described the scene. The attackers stormed the church hall and began killing worshippers with machetes.

Those who attempted to flee were pursued and killed in the compound or on the nearby road. Survivors reported that most of those killed were Catholic.

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New horrific details from last week’s ISIS massacre:
• Attackers wielded machetes and guns
• Victims were tied up, slashed, beheaded, or shot
• One survivor: “I waited quietly for my turn to die”

The war on Christians is real#CupoCupovski pic.twitter.com/CWAiqhV9he

— (@Cupo_Cupovski) July 30, 2025

With assistance from Open Doors UK, a Christian advocacy organization, Fox News Digital spoke with a local church worker identified as Judith, whose name has been changed for safety. Judith arrived at the scene shortly after the attack.

“In Komanda there were no activities, and people were standing in groups around the shops and the places that had been burnt. And people were sad. There was sadness everywhere,” she said.

The victims were buried in a mass grave dug with heavy equipment delivered by the U.N.’s MONUSCO mission. Several of those killed had fled to Komanda for safety after being targeted in previous attacks.

Judith described the aftermath of the funeral: “People were crying, weeping, some crying for their children who had been kidnapped. One woman cried for the man she was shortly due to marry, now lying dead.”

Sen. Jim Risch (R-ID), ranking member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, condemned the attack in a post on X, saying:

“This deadly escalation in their targeting of Christians makes the peace process… even more urgent. We must focus all energies on eradicating these ISIS terrorists.”

Henrietta Blyth, CEO of Open Doors UK and Ireland, said:

“This is a silent slaughter happening, which nobody is discussing. It’s like the slaughter of the innocents in the Bible, really.”

The Islamist militants are reportedly trying to establish a caliphate in a nation where 80–95% of the population identifies as Christian. “Christians are not even sleeping in their houses at night,” Blyth added. “They would rather sleep in the jungle… The church is on the run.”

Open Doors estimates more than 16 million Christians in Sub-Saharan Africa have been displaced due to extremist violence. Jo Newhouse, a regional specialist for the organization, stated that over 80 Christians have been killed in the region in July alone.

“We need the U.S. to pay attention… Do not be blind to what is happening here.”

Judith acknowledged hearing about President Donald Trump’s brokered peace agreement between the DRC and Rwanda but said it has not made a difference in eastern Congo.

“The peace accord that is needed is the one with the ADF,” she said. No arrests have been made following the attack, and local residents fear another strike could occur at any time.

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