At least 10 people were killed and another 39 were seriously injured in a bomb attack at the parish of the 8th Community of Pentecostal Churches of Congo in the city of Kasindi in North Kivu. The attack occurred in the border town when the church was in full worship an attack that has since been attributed to and claimed by the Islamic State Central Africa Province (ISCAP).
Following the attack, the Congolese police arrested an individual of Kenyan descent in connection to the attack. According to intelligence, the man who has since been identified as 29-year-old Abdirizak Muktar Garad, who hails from Wajir County, northern Kenya was the mastermind of the attack.
The increasing use of IEDs by ISCAP is a clear indication that the group has been expanding its arsenal of modes of attacks and adopting a more ISIS-like manner of attacks. Previously the group opted for the use of crude weapons like knives and machetes but since the incorporation, under the ISIS wing, the group has expanded its weapon portfolio to include IEDs, mines, and even suicide bombers. The change in tactics can be credited to the arrival of foreign fighters from East Africa.
Despite the increased presence of local and allied foreign troops in North Kivu, the rebel and terror groups in D.R. Congo continue to peddle violence indiscriminately both thousands of people killed and millions displaced from their homes. However, it is important to note that the entry of explosives and bombings by ISCAP could be a way to evade the great military presence as well as reduce the number of casualties on their side.
