At least 36 ADF militants were arrested by the Congolese forces in the transit region between Beni and Ituri regions in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Among those arrested were eight women and twenty-eight young individuals; the majority between the ages of 16 and 30.
The arrests were made by joint operations between officers from the Operations Coordination Centre (CCO) of Beni in the Mayangose rescue operations and officers of the Ituri operational sector. The region has experienced a lot of insurgent activities that have claimed hundreds of lives in the last couple of months. Ituri and North Kivu Provinces have been the theatre for militants’ attacks allied to Islamic State and ethnic rebels.
The arrests come as the Congolese military also overran an ISCA base in Mavume ridge in Beni territory where heavy weapons were seized during the weekend as well as killing 3 ADF fighters manning the station ambushed.
DRC has numerous counterinsurgency operations active in North Kivu which have been exerting pressure on the militants. ADF has been elusive since its inception with little information available seeing as the group rarely posts on social media which has allowed the group to continue its violent campaign in Beni.
