21 killed in attack on east Congo church by Islamic State-backed rebels, civil leader says

Published

2 months ago

July 27, 2025

GOMA, Congo (AP) — The death toll from an attack on a Catholic church in eastern Congo by Islamic State-backed rebels has risen to 34, according to a civil society leader.

“The bodies of the victims are still at the scene of the tragedy, and volunteers are preparing how to bury them in a mass grave that we are preparing in a compound of the Catholic church,” Dieudonne Duranthabo, a civil society coordinator in Komanda, in the Ituri province, told The Associated Press.

At least five other people were killed in an earlier attack on the nearby village of Machongani, from where a search is ongoing.

“They took several people into the bush; we do not know their destination or their number,” Lossa Dhekana, a civil society leader in Ituri, told the AP

Both attacks are believed to have been carried out by members of the Allied Democratic Force (ADF) armed with guns and machetes.

The military has confirmed at least 10 fatalities, while local media reports put the total death toll at more than 40.

Duranthabo said attackers stormed the church in Komanda town at around 1 a.m. Several houses and shops were also burnt.

Lt. Jules Ngongo, a Congolese army spokesperson in Ituri province, confirmed 10 killed in the church attack.

Video footage from the scene shared online appeared to show burning structures and bodies on the floor of the church. Those who were able to identify some of the victims wailed while others stood in shock.

A U.N.-backed radio station said 43 people were killed, citing security sources. It said the attackers came from a stronghold around 12 kilometers (7 miles) from the center of Komanda and fled before security forces could arrive.

Duranthabo condemned the attack “in a town where all the security officials are present.” He added: “We demand military intervention as soon as possible, since we are told the enemy is still near our town.”

Eastern Congo has suffered deadly attacks in recent years by armed groups, including the ADF and Rwanda-backed rebels. The ADF, which has ties to the Islamic State, operates in the borderland between Uganda and Congo and often targets civilians. The group killed dozens of people in Ituri earlier this month in what a United Nations spokesperson described as a bloodbath.

The ADF was formed by disparate small groups in Uganda in the late 1990s following alleged discontent with President Yoweri Museveni.

In 2002, following military assaults by Ugandan forces, the group moved its activities to neighboring Congo and has since been responsible for the killings of thousands of civilians. In 2019, it pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.

The Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), which has long struggled against the rebel group, has been facing attacks since the renewed hostilities between the Rwanda-backed M23.

–

Adetayo reported from Lagos, Nigeria and Saleh Mwanamilongo contributed to this report

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Report: Bengals have made calls to free agent QBs since Joe Burrow’s injury

Published

1 hour ago

September 15, 2025

Josh Alper

Confirmation that Joe Burrow is set to miss at least the next three months after surgery to repair torn ligaments in his toe didn’t come until Monday, but the Bengals reportedly didn’t wait for that word before starting to make plans for a future without the quarterback.

Adam Schefter of ESPN reports that the Bengals started reaching out to free agents after Burrow went down in the first half of Sunday’s win over the Jaguars. Jake Browning played the rest of the game and the Bengals also have Brett Rypien on their practice squad.

One familiar face on the list of free agents is Desmond Ridder. Ridder spent the summer in training camp with the Bengals, which would give him a leg up on learning the offense although his play in Atlanta and Las Vegas did little to create confidence in his ability to lead a team.

Mike White, Taylor Heinicke, Kyle Trask, and Nate Sudfeld are some of the other available quarterbacks. The Bengals could also sign someone to their active roster off another team’s practice squad or they could look into the trade market.

Falcons backup Kirk Cousins is one of the names that will come up on that front. Jameis Winston of the Giants and Case Keenum of the Bears are both the third quarterbacks on their roster while the Eagles have both Sam Howell and Tanner McKee backing up Jalen Hurts, but it’s unclear whether any of those teams are going to be motivated to make a move at this point in the season.

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Bengals QB Joe Burrow to undergo surgery on injured toe, expected to miss 3 months: Sources

Published

2 hours ago

September 15, 2025

Dianna Russini and Paul Dehner Jr.

Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow will undergo surgery on his injured toe and is expected to miss at least three months, league sources told The Athletic on Monday.

Burrow left Sunday’s 31-27 win over the Jacksonville Jaguars in the second quarter and did not return. After the game, he passed through the locker room in a walking boot with crutches.

Head coach Zac Taylor is expected to provide a further update on Burrow’s health Monday afternoon.

In Burrow’s absence, backup Jake Browning led the Bengals to a come-from-behind victory over the Jags, completing 21 of 32 passes for 241 yards and two passing touchdowns. His 1-yard QB sneak sealed the win with 18 seconds remaining.

Burrow was 7 for 13 for 76 yards and a touchdown when he left the game.

Cincinnati (2-0) will face the Minnesota Vikings on the road on Sunday.

What comes next for the Bengals

Cincinnati turns the offense over to Jake Browning. They’ve done this before. In 2023, when Browning took over for Burrow after his November wrist injury, he went 4-3 and completed 70 percent of his passes. He proved a more than capable backup the team valued keeping around.

With the best-case scenario for Burrow being a return in mid-December — and even that being a very optimistic timeline — the hope would be the coaching staff can re-calibrate the offense around Browning’s strengths and keep it performing solidly. We saw that on Sunday when Browning led the Bengals to 24 points in three quarters, including the game-winning 92-yard touchdown drive to beat the Jaguars. Even if Browning can keep the offense playing solid they will need improved play on defense to keep the train on the tracks.

If they can keep the team around .500 the rest of the way then it could set up Burrow for a return for the final few weeks of the season and sneak into the playoffs. That’s assuming Burrow can quickly ramp up into midseason form despite working back on the rehab field for months.

None of these things are even close to guaranteed. They will need good luck on their side on multiple fronts. Perhaps after losing Burrow to a rare toe injury, they are due.

What comes next for Burrow

Burrow now faces the reality of three lost seasons in his first six years. He tore his ACL in 2020, snapped a ligament in his wrist in 2023 and injured a ligament in his toe in 2025. He’s also been significantly hampered with calf injuries, appendicitis and other knee injuries.

He’s no stranger to rehab and no stranger to rehab without much precedent. He’ll likely stay involved with the team and in supporting Browning, but there is only so much any player can do when sidelined.

A critical aspect of his comeback efforts will be getting back into football shape despite needing to ease back in post-surgery. There’s a fine line between pushing it too far and being aggressive in the rehab. He was too aggressive coming back from a calf injury in 2023 and by pushing too hard, too early it tripled his return-to-play timeline. As he reaches November and December, those will be critical elements to remember.

(Photo: Sam Greene / Imagn Images)

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