KASINDI: The extremist group Daesh claimed responsibility for bombing a church in eastern Congo on Monday, as officials said at least 14 people were killed as a result of Sunday's attack.
According to statements made by the Daesh organization and its Amaq news outlet, its militants had planted an explosive device inside the Kasindi Pentecostal Church and set it off while worshipers were praying.
The group issued a statement saying, "Let the Congolese army know that their continued attacks on the mujahideen will only bring them more failure and harm."
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The extremists claimed that 20 Christians were killed by the bomb. Officials in Congo reported 14 dead and at least 63 injured as of Monday.
According to officials, the MONUSCO UN peacekeeping mission took the injured to Beni General Hospital. Violence has plagued eastern Congo for decades, as more than 120 armed groups and self-defense militias fight for territory and power.
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According to the United Nations, some 6 million people are internally displaced, and hundreds of thousands suffer from severe food insecurity. The Allied Democratic Forces, a rebel group believed to have links to the Daesh organization, have carried out several attacks in the Ugandan border town of Kasindi.
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The Ugandan military has sent troops into eastern Congo in an attempt to quell the unrest, but attacks have become frequent and widespread. In attacks since April, the ADF has killed at least 370 civilians and abducted hundreds, according to a report released last month by the United Nations.