The Democratic Republic of Congo says it is stepping up security operations in Mambasa territory after an ADF attack on the Mambasa-Kisangani axis left 43 people dead, burned 44 houses and caused major material damage, according to authorities on Thursday. The latest assault adds to growing concern over civilian protection in Ituri, where repeated attacks have continued despite years of military pressure on the armed group.

Government spokesman Patrick Muyaya, citing the spokesperson of the Ituri operational sector, said the attack struck the locality of Bafwakoa and also damaged a truck and five motorcycles. He said the FARDC is reinforcing security measures, restoring order and intensifying targeted operations aimed at dismantling ADF networks in the area.

The renewed military response comes after another violent period in Mambasa last month. In late March, It was reported that Congolese forces had retaken Muchacha, a strategic mining site in Ituri that had long been used by ADF fighters and had been linked to earlier massacres of civilians.

The latest attack also fits a wider pattern of worsening insecurity in eastern Congo. Another report said that local officials gave a higher provisional toll than the army’s figure and said some people were still missing after the assault, underlining the difficulty of establishing final casualty counts in remote conflict zones.

ADF violence has affected communities across Ituri and North Kivu for years, especially in Mambasa, Irumu, Beni and Lubero. The group, which originated in Uganda and later pledged allegiance to Islamic State, has remained one of the deadliest armed movements operating in eastern