Incident Summary:

12/15/2020: Assailants attacked Matombi, Irumu, Ituri, Democratic Republic of the Congo. This was one of at least two attacks targeting villages in Ituri on this date. At least five people were killed across both attacks and at least one civilian was reported missing. No group claimed responsibility for the incident; however, sources attributed the attack to the Allied Democratic Forces (ADF).

GTD ID:
202012160015

When:
2020-12-15

Country:
Democratic Republic of the Congo

Region:
Sub-Saharan Africa

Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:

Ituri

City:
Matombi

Location Details:
The incident occurred in Irumu district.

Attack Information
Type of Attack (more) Armed Assault
Type of Attack (more) Hostage Taking (Kidnapping)
Successful Attack? (more) Yes
Target Information (more)
Target Type: Private Citizens & Property
Name of Entity Matombi Village
Specific Description Village
Nationality of Target Democratic Republic of the Congo
Additional Information
Hostages Yes
Number of Hostages 4
US Hostages 0
Outcome Hostage(s) killed (not during rescue attempt)
Ransom No
Property Damage Yes
Extent of Property Damage Minor (likely < $1 million)
Value of Property Damage Unknown
Weapon Information
Type Sub-type
Firearms Unknown Gun Type
Melee Knife or Other Sharp Object
Additional Information
Suicide Attack?No
Part of Multiple Incident?Yes
Criterion 1 (more) Yes
Criterion 2 (more) Yes
Criterion 3 (more) Yes
Doubt Terrorism Proper (more) No
Additional Information Casualty and hostage numbers represent a division of the total number of those killed, wounded, and taken hostage across incidents 202012160016 and 202012160016. Casualty numbers conflict across sources. Following GTD protocol, the majority reliable estimates are reported here.
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name Claimed Responsibility
Allied Democratic Forces (ADF) No
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators Unknown
Number of Captured Perpetrators 0
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties 4 Fatalities
Total Number of Fatalities 4
Number of U.S. Fatalities 0
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities 0
Total Number of Injured Unknown
Number of U.S. Injured 0
Number of Perpetrators Injured 0
Sources
"Terrorism Digest: 15-16 Dec 20," BBC Monitoring, December 16, 2020.