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The bloodshed added to the widespread insecurity that has hindered efforts to contain the second-worst epidemic ever.
GOMA, Congo, June 4 (Reuters) – The Islamic State claimed Tuesday the deadly attack at night in a region of eastern Congo hit by an Ebola outbreak, although that his story of violence differs from local news.
The deputy mayor of Beni, in eastern DRC, said 13 civilians had been killed on Monday as part of an attack by the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), a group that would be linked to the 39 Islamic State.
"The victims were killed by bullets and others with knives," Mayor Modeste Bakwanamaha told Reuters.
In a statement posted on the Telegram e-mail website, the Islamic State said that it was behind the attack. He said he targeted the Congolese army in Beni, killing or injuring 25 people.
The bloodshed added to the widespread insecurity that has hindered efforts to contain the second-worst epidemic ever. The number of cases reached 2,000 this week with the acceleration of the infection rate.
Bakwanamaha said the latest violence was likely a response to the crackdown by the Congolese army last week, which killed 26 ADF members after attacking an army position at Ngite.
The ADF never claimed allegiance to the Islamic State, but the Islamic State said last Thursday that its affiliate from the "Central African Province" had inflicted " dozens of casualties "to the Congolese forces, according to the intelligence group SITE, which monitors jihadist activities online.
(Report of Fiston Mahamba in Goma and Nayera Abdallah in Cairo Writing of Alessandra Prentice Edition of Tim Cocks / Mark Heinrich)
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